Eight Weeks In Georgia
by superprincesspea
Summary: Kate's year long exhibition in the USA was supposed to be a welcome distraction to help her forget the moment that had changed her life. Instead she only found loneliness in the long evenings and weekends that surrounded her job. Until she met Daryl Dixon. AU, No Zombies, Mature Themes (AU to Path's Crossed)
1. Day One

Daryl sat in a tiny waiting room and tapped his foot nervously while he straightened his shirt for the tenth time. Last night his friend Jim had insisted that he should wear "something smart" to his interview as he had thrust some trousers and a pale blue shirt into his hands. The borrowed clothes fit him awkwardly. Jim was lean and about half a foot taller than Daryl and where the trousers bunched at his ankles the shirt was painted to his skin.

"Daryl Dixon I presume?"

"Yes Sir."

"My names Philip Blake," the tall man held out his hand and Daryl stood up to shake it. "Jim Fulton has done a lot of contracting work for the museum so you come…" he looked Daryl up and down, "recommended."

Daryl gave the man a small one sided smile and tried to hold in the gruff grunt that he usually used in response as he followed the man into his office. He took a seat across from Philip's large ornate desk and sank deep into the well-worn leather. He began to question why he accepted Jim's offer to arrange this job interview. Already he felt like he didn't belong in this stuffy old museum.

Philip poured them both a glass of water and settled down to grill him. It took less than five minutes to go over Daryl's previous work history and any relevant work experience, of which there was none. He'd had the odd job as a mechanic and Jim had hired him to help in his small construction business but he'd never had anything steady. Just part time work to tide him over while his dumb as shit big brother served time or when he needed to make repairs to his truck.

Last week he'd got in a huge fight with Merle and decided enough was enough. Daryl finally realised that he wasn't like his brother. He was getting too old to spend the rest of his life drifting around and being one of those asshole's that people crossed the street to avoid. So he'd packed his handful of belongings into a trash bag and headed over to his friend's house to sleep in his shoebox sized spare room and make a fresh start.

"Like I say, Jim recommended you and I trust the man so I'm happy to offer you the position now. But I'm going to need your answer right away because we have a very important collection of artefacts travelling here next week and I need to make sure this position is filled."

Daryl had no other options. He didn't want to spend too long imposing on Jim and his girlfriend Charlene so he accepted the position. Philip, or Mr Blake, as he had asked Daryl to call him introduced him to the other security guards, "Rick and Shane," who were to show him the ropes of his new job and organise him a uniform.

 _A uniform_ , Daryl almost choked as he took in the black trousers, white shirt, black tie and ridiculous looking black hat that completed the rent a cop outfit as worn by his new co-workers. Part of him wanted to back out right there and then but money was money and this job would tide him over until he found something more suitable.

He spent the next several hours looking around all the exhibits, signing countless forms and going over his duties and his new rota. By the time Mr Blake said he could go he practically ran back to his truck, lit a cigarette and high tailed it back to Jim's in a way that made him feel like he was 14 years old and finishing school for the summer.

Daryl squeezed his truck in to the awkward third spot onto Jim's driveway that was only meant for two and cringed again at the idea of imposing on his oldest friend. Not that Jim or Charlene would have ever thought of it that way, they were good people, better than he deserved when he thought of the illegal shit he'd got up to with his brother over the past few years.

Daryl kicked open the front door with his arm full of his new uniform to find Charlene standing in the kitchen blaring country music and cooking up a storm like she always did.

"Jim's out back hun," she called to him over the radio as he dumped the clothes on the single bed in in his tiny room then grabbed a beer out of the fridge and made his way to find his friend.

"I got the job," Daryl rasped as the screen door shut softly behind him and he took a seat next to Jim.

His friend rubbed his think beard and adjusted his cap with a grin, "great… now all ya need to do is find a house and a nice girl… Charlene's always bangin' on 'bout goin' on double dates."

"Ya know you've got the only good one round 'ere," Daryl took a sip of beer, sank back into the chair and stretched his legs. The last thing he needed was some woman nagging him and making him crazy. Although he did envy Jim of Char's cooking. The food she whipped up was enough to make him think of imposing on their little house forever. In Daryl's mind Charlene was as close to the ideal girl as a redneck such as himself could imagine. She was a good cook and she could hunt and fish better than Jim could.

One week later…

Kate pulled into the car park of the museum and noted the lack of other cars aside from her shiny red Mustang and a dirty blue truck. But she was extra early this morning to get a head start on setting up the exhibition. She flicked through the set of keys which Philip Blake had given her yesterday on her brief first visit to the museum. Eventually she found the one that opened the door of the staff entrance and pushed it open.

Philp, who was head curator of the museum had seemed a pleasant enough man to work with for the next eight weeks but like everyone else she had met whilst being in the states for the past year Kate had no plans of forming any sort of friendships. All she wanted to do was focus on her job, fade into the background and pretend for Lou that she was moving on.

Kate found the little office that was to be her and Lou's for their duration here. It was small and only had one desk but it wasn't too bad. She didn't really need an office anyway, except maybe as a space to store her new Mulberry handbag which had been a 29th birthday present to herself.

She pulled her box of teabags and favourite mug from her handbag before throwing it onto the leather chair that was in the corner of the office and heading out to see if she could remember where the break room was. She made a cup of tea, one sugar, dash of milk, then checked her watch. Lou would be here soon.

In the east wing of the museum stood the huge room filled with empty display cases and in the centre were all the crates. Kate found the light switch to illuminate the parquet floor, mahogany display cases, brass lights and a vaulted ceiling. She liked old museums like this; they felt more appropriate than some of the newer spaces they had displayed the collection of medieval weaponry in.

In a way she was almost glad that Louis was running late since he always complained about the unpacking and setting up of the exhibition whereas Kate actually enjoyed this part. It was the calm before the storm. No people to talk to, no guided tours, just quiet work for a couple of days. She enjoyed pulling on the nitrile gloves and handling the artefacts. Feeling the weight of the weapons in her hand and imagining what it would be like to use it. She had already chosen her perfect sword long ago and always unpacked that one first. Sometimes, if no one was looking, she would pull it from the crate and swing it through the air in a satisfying motion for which it was forged.

Kate drank the last of her cup of tea as she finished inspecting the display cases and checking that they correlated with the plan she had drawn up based on dimensions Philip had sent her a couple of weeks ago. The cases were all already unlocked as she had requested yesterday and now there was nothing more to do but run her empty mug back to the break room and get started.

She picked up the crowbar that was resting on top of one of the crates and used it to pry the lid open. It took a bit of persuasion but eventually Kate managed to work the nails free and the lid fell to the floor with a loud clatter that echoed around the room. There was something eerie about making a loud noise in absolute silence and the feeling always made the hairs at the back of her neck stand on end. She laughed at her own fright which was probably a product of too many Stephen King novels and pulled on some gloves. As she began to reach into the crate the sound of something metal hitting the floor elsewhere in the museum caught her attention.

"Hello?" Kate called out and checked her watch. Lou should have been here twenty minutes ago and she wondered if it was him. _Or maybe it was a monster_ (if she believed in that sort of thing).

/

Daryl had fallen from his chair with a huge, painful bang. He'd been working the first night shift of his new job and had promised himself that he would 'just rest his eyes' but as he looked at his watch he realised that promise had been made over two hours ago. _Some fucking security guard I am_ , he decided as he rubbed his head and heard a woman's voice calling out, "is there somebody there?"

He suddenly remembered the huge stack of crates that had arrived last night and Mr Blake telling him that "the two brits are starting their first full day tomorrow… everyone must be on their best behaviour."

Daryl groaned, rolled his shoulders and rubbed his eyes as he moved towards the woman and the clatter of high heels. He rounded a corner at the same time she did and they collided giving him a lung full of expensive perfume and a face full of chocolate brown hair. "Shit," she went flying but he managed to grab hold of her arm before she hit the floor.

"Sorry ma'am," he rasped as he pulled her upright. She wasn't what he had expected. He'd expected old and frumpy. He looked at the point where he was still holding onto her arm and let his hand fall away.

"You ought to watch where you're going," she scolded him, jabbing her finger in his face like she was the fucking queen. "You could have broken my bloody neck charging around like that."

Daryl was momentarily stunned. He hardly knew what to say since he never usually got squared up to by uppity women who were half his size. What must have been seconds of silence felt like a thousand years before the sound of a door opening and shutting caught their attention.

"Morning Lass," a man's thick accent called out.

Daryl turned to look at the speaker as 'Miss Uppity' glided past, her bright blue chiffon dress swishing lightly with every step as she chimed, "good morning Lou," and embraced the old man.

Daryl began to back away. Fancy book learning people like this made him feel more stupid than ever. That was one thing he had realised the past week while working here.

"Don't move so fast young man, we may need a hand with the crates," Lou called and Daryl hesitated and looked over his shoulder, he couldn't remember the last time someone had called him 'young'. But he supposed to the older man with white hair and a cane that he was practically a spring chicken. "What's your name son?"

"Daryl Dixon."

"I'm Louis and this is Kate," he smiled kindly and Daryl got the feeling that Louis wasn't the sort of man to make anyone feel stupid.

"Ms Ashwood," the brunette corrected as she turned around and gave him a slow once over. _Goddamn_ , those big brown eyes of hers were half turning him to ice with their hard stare. Still, he found he couldn't look away.

"Well lass? Get a move on, we can't stand here all day," Lou gestured his cane towards the exhibition hall and Kate's eyes softened as they fluttered from Daryl's to the older mans.

Kate gave Louis a rundown of where she thought everything should go and Daryl couldn't help staring as he hung on to every word that rolled hypnotically from her lips. _Jesus_ , that accent was something else. She caught his slack jawed gaping and he felt his cheeks burning as he moved to the other side of the room and out of sight. He couldn't remember the last time he'd blushed. As a rule Dixon's didn't fucking blush.

He regained some modicum of composure before he peered around a display case to see her bending over to pick up a crowbar. Kate's dress skirted up her smooth legs and Daryl found his head tilting to take in the view before he shrunk back and thought better of it. _Get a fucking grip_ , he told himself but all he wanted to do was go sit behind the safety of his little desk and hide.

Louis had other ideas. "Would you come give us a hand son?" he shouted.

"I'm perfectly fine on my own," Kate insisted as he approached them both. But from the expression on her face and the light grunt that fell from her mouth he could see she was struggling. He crossed his arms and looked to Louis who just shrugged with a bemused smile. Was the old man expecting him to snatch the crowbar off the woman or what? He looked between them both and if he had to choose between the two he decided that Miss Uppity would probably be the one most likely to give him a verbal ass whooping. With that in mind he let her do her own thing and merely watched.

/

The lid finally succumbed to the pressure and fell to the floor in a triumphant clatter. Sometimes Lou was so old fashioned. He always volunteered men to help her like she was some useless little damsel and as much as she loved him she hated him for it. The last thing she needed was some man to swoop to her assistance. She peered behind her to the security guard who was in conversation with Louis. Her friend could talk the back legs off a bloody donkey and was always quick to make friends.

Kate ignored the intense blue stare that Daryl flashed her way and pulled on a second pair of gloves. She was about to reach in to a crate to pick up her sword when she noticed Mr Dixon reaching his dirty hands into another crate.

"What do you think you're doing?" she exclaimed and stormed over to bat his hand away from the medieval crossbow. "You can look but you most certainly cannot touch."

/

 _Jesus Christ_ , Daryl wanted to ask her who had shoved the stick up her ass but didn't think it would be worth the risk since she had plenty of weapons to hand and was looking at him with nothing but contempt. "Sorry ma'am," he said to her for the second time since they had met.

Kate flicked her hair over her shoulder with a "humph," before she spun on her heel to walk away from him. He'd never met such a goddamn bossy woman, he felt like he was back at school. Except if any of his teachers would have been sashaying around in a dress like she was wearing he would have never dropped out.

"Flipping heck lass he only wants a gander. You like the crossbow son?" Lou smiled warmly as he pulled on his gloves.

"I have my own crossbow, I like to go huntin' when I can," Daryl admired the wooden weapon that the man picked up from the crate. It wasn't too dissimilar to his own despite the fact that it was obviously very old.

"A man after my own heart. I have my own private collection of bows back home, I even brought one with me… and it's a pretty one… 17th century, polished silver hardware, carved wood."

Kate took the medieval bow that Lou was showing Daryl while the man continued, "maybe we can go shooting before we're done here and you can have a play with her. I don't get her out as much as I used to and it's such a waste."

Daryl knew Lou was talking about his crossbow but he couldn't help the laugh that escaped his mouth as he looked at Miss Uppity. Then he considered the idea of taking the old man hunting with him and almost said no. Spending his free time with perfect strangers wasn't exactly his style but there was something about the man that reminded him of his late grandfather and he found himself saying, "sounds good." _Why not take him?_ Jim was always saying he should be more sociable although he suspected that his friend was referring to dating women, not hunting with men older than his father.

"What do you think Katy? Have a real shoot…" Louis grinned as he clapped his hands together with enthusiasm.

"I don't think running through the forest like a wild man is very good for your knee," Miss Uppity never took her eyes away from the meticulous way she was resting the crossbow onto its little wooden stand. Daryl couldn't stop looking at her with the same precision, from the way her brow was furrowed in concentration to the way she stood on the tips of her toes in her ridiculously high heels.

"Ya'll sound so different," Daryl thought out loud when Miss Uppity was out of ear shot.

"Aye. I'm from Yorkshire, and she speaks the queens," Lou passed Daryl the crowbar and he opened up the rest of the crates before Miss Uppity had a chance to catch him and scold him again. Not that he would have particularly minded, there was something about this woman shouting at him that he almost liked. Maybe it was just that he had spent the night alone and it was nice to actually interact with people as opposed to staring at the CCTV monitor and rationing his cigarettes.

Soon the sound of other people began to fill the museum and he knew that his shift was over as he stifled a yawn. "I'm done for the day…"

"Nice meeting you," Louis said. He smiled and shook Daryl's hand. Lou was what his mama would have called 'good people' and he already liked him.

Kate was the kind of woman he would usually avoid; haughty, demanding, too pretty for her own damn good. She caught his eye as he made to leave and he swallowed down the dry feeling that suddenly chocked him. "Nice to meet ya Miss…" _Uppity_ , he almost said it before he cleared his throat and remembered, "Ashwood."

"Good day Mr Dixon," she replied coolly with one cocked eyebrow and went back to looking at her notes.

 _Jesus_ , he pulled his hat off his head and backed away towards the security office. It was going to be a long eight weeks.


	2. One Lump or Two?

_Tuesday_

Daryl was awake when Ms Ashwood arrived. In fact, he'd spent the last hour staring at the security monitors to watch a stray dog sniffing around some dumpsters at the side of the building when he'd spotted her Mustang pulling into the carpark and scaring the dog away. He looked at the clock on the wall besides him. She was later than she had been yesterday but still earlier than the rest of the staff.

Kate stepped out of her car in her high heels, bouncy hair and a skin tight pencil skirt. He wondered if she would come to talk to him before deciding she probably wouldn't. He definitely wasn't going to leave his post to face another dressing down from some dainty little ball breaker. He took a sip of his can of Red Bull that had long since gone warm as he followed her on the monitors. She threw her handbag into her office in one careless motion then shook out her hair with her hands before she headed to the breakroom.

The camera in the staff room was incredibly grainy but he suspected she was making a cup of tea. Last night when he had made himself a coffee he'd noticed two new mugs in the cupboard. One of them said 'best grandad' and the other one was white with little dinosaurs printed all over it. He'd thought it an odd choice for a woman like her but then he knew nothing about her. In between the mugs had been a huge box of Yorkshire tea and he could just about see her opening the box. He had the sudden realisation that watching her was a little creepy, but that didn't bother him enough to look away. Instead he rubbed his hand across his face, leaned back into the chair and folded his arms across his chest to make himself more comfortable.

Kate took her tea and walked around some of the other exhibitions, stopping to read the plaques and checking her watch intermittently. He didn't know what he was expecting her to do but she wasn't doing anything. Still, it beat staring into space and he was paid to watch the monitors after all. Eventually everyone else began to arrive and the show was over, it was time for him to go home.

 _Wednesday_

Daryl sat in his swivel chair and threw a rubber ball in the air, higher and higher, counting how many times he could catch it in a row. He could see the clock was fast approaching the time Miss Uppity had arrived yesterday and he tried to ignore the monitors. He didn't want to be 'that guy', the pathetic loser that peeped on girls. But in the silence of the museum he could hear the faint slam of the heavy staff door and he whipped his head to the monitor. She was wearing trousers with a white shirt tucked into the front. She threw her bag into her office and ruffled her hair. He wondered briefly if she knew she was being watched before realising that it wasn't normal to assume you were being spied on by a degenerate security guard. Kate made her tea then looked around the museum. Just like yesterday.

 _Thursday_

Daryl waited in the staffroom. What he was going to do or say he hadn't exactly decided but he'd spent all night on his own twiddling his thumbs and reading some crappy detective novel he'd found tucked away under the security desk. The silence, and boredom, had given him the courage to interact with her. At least this way he wouldn't feel like a peeping tom. All he had to do was wait in the room and she would make her tea and maybe they would talk about the weather. He could hear the clip clop of high heels long before the door swung open. _Shit, what the fuck am I doing? Talk about the weather? Jesus_ , he held his breath.

Ms Ashwood's eyes were wide with surprise when they met his. "Good morning," she said curtly before hastily grabbing a paper towel and stepping out of the room. No tea.

Daryl scratched the stubble on his cheek before turning to face the cupboard and pulling out her dinosaur mug along with another. Before it even occurred to him that it might be weird to make the woman a cup of tea he was walking out of the break room and handing her the mug.

She eyed him curiously and for a heartbeat he thought she was going to leave him hanging, with her outstretched mug filling the void between them. Then she took her tea and he could relax. _Goddammit_ , this was why he avoided doing this sort of 'friendly' shit. He was still unsure why he was doing it right now.

"Thank you Mr…" Kate scrunched her face and he realised she had forgotten his damn name.

"Daryl Dixon," he grunted. _Fucking hell_ , she was the peak of his shift and he was an insignificant, forgotten interaction from three days ago.

Kate brought the rim of the mug to her red lips in a way that made him swallow hard.

"Bloody hell," she exclaimed. "How much sugar did you put in?"

"Just two…" Daryl's stuttered as he took a mouthful of steaming hot coffee, he'd given her three heaped spoonful's but she was making him too nervous to admit the truth.

"I only take one." The woman would be fucking lucky if he made her another cup of tea after this.

"I um… have four," he confessed and she snorted in mild amusement before a mountain of silence built between them. This was a terrible idea. Words refused to form in his head or his mouth and Kate held his gaze like they were locked in a staring competition.

"Hey Daryl," pierced the air and he turned to look at Hailee, the leggy blonde girl who worked in the gift shop. "I ain't seen you all week."

Kate used the momentary distraction to disappear behind a display case towards the breakroom with a swish of her light as air dress.

Hailee grabbed his arm with a pink lip-gloss smile. "I don't know how you manage to stay up all night… you must be exhausted," she cooed over him as she batted her eyelashes in the flirty try hard way that stroked his ego.

He had spent his entire first week with her hanging off his every word and prancing around the gift shop whenever he came into view. Shane had told Daryl that she had a boyfriend, but it didn't seem to stop her. Hailee was a nice enough girl in her own way, but she was like a dumb squirrel who jumped out of the tree wanting to meet his bolt. To a hunter there was nothing more appealing than the thrill of the chase as you tracked down more elusive prey. Although to most man there was a certain appeal to a woman who was more interested in you than you were in them and he was a man.

"Walk me to the shop," she cocked her head and he joined her since he had to get back to the security office anyway.

 _Friday_

Daryl decided not to wait for Kate in the break room like a weirdo stalker. Instead he just watched her on the monitors, like a weirdo stalker. He'd made his peace with that now.

She was late. Maybe she was trying to avoid another awkward hot drink while he stared at her in silence. He would hardly be surprised. What the fuck was he even doing, watching her and trying to interact with her? He'd really gone off the fucking deep end this time. Maybe he should have stuck with Merle. Maybe he had spent too long on the outside of normal society that he could never be normal. Just some dumb redneck.

Daryl was worrying that he had made a complete ass out of himself when he saw her pulling up. She practically fell out of her car as she hurried into the building, taking long purposeful strides until she was walking into her office and slamming the door shut behind her. _Damn_ , she was definitely avoiding him. Or maybe he was overthinking it. He probably was.

He looked at Kate's Mustang sitting across from his truck in the car park and noticed that her headlights were still on. _Shit_ , should he say something? Or would someone else tell her? He imagined her trying to start her car with a dead battery later on in the evening and knew he had no choice but to go and talk to her. Still, that didn't make it any easier. He had a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach like a hive of bees buzzing in a frenzy.

/

Kate slumped into the chair in her office and pulled her phone out of her handbag to look through her photos. This morning when she had been stuck in traffic she had seen a frazzled mother pulling her son along and waving her arms in the air before the boy burst into tears. She almost jumped out of the car like a mad woman until the loud squealing of car horns crying out behind her had woken her up from her daze.

Looking at her pictures wasn't helping. Nothing helped. She threw the phone back into her bag and shrank into the chair before a faint knocking at the door captured her attention. Kate straightened up and ran her fingers through her hair before she called "come in."

The door opened slowly to reveal the security guard standing hesitantly while he straightened his tie, "sorry to bother ya ma'am but I noticed you've left ya headlights on."

"I have?" Kate thought out loud as she grabbed her car keys and pushed herself up from her chair. She needed to pull herself together.

/

Miss Uppity squeezed past him giving him a breath full of her perfume and he drank it in greedily before he watched her sashay down the hall towards the carpark. Today she wore a deep red dress that was fitted to every curve and he watched her ass as she walked away. _Holy fuck_ , he'd never in his life spent so much time watching a woman like her.

Daryl headed to the tiny security office to do the handover with Rick and Shane.

"I'm thinking of asking that new chick out on a date, you think she'll go for that?" Shane said as Daryl walked into the room.

"Kate? Let's see… she's attractive, smart…" Rick said.

Shane interrupted and batted the air like he was slapping an invisible behind, "great ass…"

Rick laughed, "Yeah, I'd say you have no chance."

"She's kind of a bitch… but I like that. Treat me mean keep me keen, what do you think Dixon?"

"She's alright, I guess."

"Alright? You hiding Miss America in your pants or something?" Shane laughed and the office filled with the smell of cologne as the man doused himself in a heavy layer.

Daryl shoved his stuff in his locker and left the staff room as quickly as possible. He was glad that now it was the weekend and he could spend the next two days not having to think about the woman. The week of nightshifts had made him feel slightly unhinged. At least next week he would be working in the day and would have his wits about him, rather than acting like a dumbstruck idiot fawning over a pretty face… and the rest. Alright she was attractive. Daryl would give her that. But Shane was right, Miss Uppity was a fancy bitch and there was no way she would ever be interested in a man like him. He convinced himself that he wasn't interested in her other than to look at. She was like the medieval cross bow that sat behind the glass display case. _Jesus Christ_ , he needed to get laid. It had been far too long.

/

Kate sat in her mustang with her hands on the steering wheel and thought about starting the engine and driving away, speeding down empty roads until she was lost and all alone. Sometimes the idea of facing people was almost unbearable but she had promised Lou that she wouldn't do that again. And she hadn't, not since almost a year ago when they had been in the first week of working on their new exhibition. There had been a group of school children arriving at the museum and Kate was supposed to give them a tour and answer all their questions. One look at all their excited little faces as they climbed out of the school bus had been enough to make her run away and disappear from her responsibilities for three days. She was better now. She'd given many school visits and answered countless questions to eager little six year olds who wanted to know everything about being a knight, castles and sword fights.

Kate turned off her lights and took a deep relaxing breath before she climbed out of her car in time to see Daryl Dixon throwing a bag into the back of his truck. She thought about the cup of sugar he had made her yesterday as she watched his hand move to unbutton the top two buttons of his shirt before he lit a cigarette. The gruff security guard didn't seem like the kind of man that would need four sugars in his coffee but then what did she know about people? Lou told her she was going to end up a recluse if she kept hiding away and rejecting every offer of fun and friendship that came her way.

When Kate's fingertips touched the handle of the staff door that had locked behind her, she realised that she'd left her work keys in the office and rolled her eyes with an exasperated sigh before she looked over her shoulder to Daryl Dixon. She detested asking for help.

/

Daryl pulled on some sunglasses and was flicking through radio stations when he sensed the deep red presence of Miss Uppity's dress filling up his driver's side window. She ducked down and made eye contact with him. At least he was looking at her big brown eyes for the briefest moment before his vision crept to the neckline of her dress. Thank god he was wearing shades.

Daryl rolled down the window.

"I've left my keys inside…"

"Ya mean you've locked yourself out?"

Kate bit her lip and he watched her chest heave before she said, "yes."

Part of him wanted to make her uppity ass suffer and tell her to 'ask him nicely to open the door' but the part of him that wanted to be a gentleman to the woman who was too pretty for her own damn good won out. He climbed out of his truck and walked with her to the door before unlocking it and holding it open.

Kate glided through it and almost as an afterthought she paused and turned to say "thank you Mr Dixon."

This time she remembered his name and didn't say it in contempt. It rolled from her mouth with a gentleness that was akin to the way she spoke to Louis and he felt guilty for the lecherous long look he'd take down her dress. "See ya Monday," he mumbled as he let the door fall shut between them. Who was he kidding? Next week would be even worse than this week, he'd have the whole day to watch her saunter around, catching his eye with every flick or her hair or swish of her dress.


	3. Undesireables

_Monday Morning_

Daryl didn't see Kate's mustang when he pulled into the car park and felt a pang of disappointment followed by a sense of worry. The idea of worrying about the fate of a someone he had only just met was almost foreign to him. He never usually worried about much of anything. As long as he had food and a pack of smokes he was pretty much golden.

Over the weekend Charlene had joked that Jim would have to build Daryl a bachelor pad out in the garden when they started having babies. The conversation had scared the shit out of his friend who finally got the idea that he should start popping the question to his girlfriend of five years and it had unintentionally made Daryl feel like more of a loser than ever.

That night he went with Jim over to Joe's bar and they played pool while they discussed Daryl's options. Almost all the girls they had gone to school with were already married and settled down, as were all the ones who they deemed age appropriate for a man of 36. Anyone left over were either the trashy girls, by which he meant the type of girl that Merle would go for, or the 'undesirable' girls and even most of those were married too.

"Bachelor pad sounds damn good," Daryl had decided on his forth beer while resigning himself to not getting laid.

Daryl stubbed out his cigarette and watched Hailee's baby blue Volkswagen Beetle pulling up next to his truck. She spotted him before he had the chance to escape so he had no choice but to wait for her while she checked her reflection in the rear view mirror and applied a layer of lip gloss.

"You have a nice weekend handsome?" she called as she pranced towards him, swaying her hips and twirling her hair around her finger.

 _What? Handsome. Did she just say that?_ He stared at the glitter layered on her lips as they curved into a smile. "Ain't you gonna open the door for me?"

Daryl pulled his keys from his pocket and they walked in towards the gift shop and the security office. The guard that had worked the night shifts over the weekend was a part timer that he hadn't met yet but he knew his name was Tyreese. He introduced himself briefly before he made his way into the office and left Hailee to walk the rest of the way to the gift shop with a disappointed pout on her sticky pink lips.

Daryl opened his locker and pulled out his equipment belt while he watched Shane layering on his cologne. He remembered the conversation from Friday morning and curiosity got the better of him as he said "did ya ask Kate out?"

Shane cracked a devilish grin, rubbed his hand over his shaved head then pulled on his hat, "she said no."

Daryl couldn't help the laugh that escaped.

"You think that's funny, Dixon? I ain't giving up yet. Way I see it, I got myself a perfect situation. Get her in the sack and we could be enjoying the next seven weeks under the covers… no strings… she leaves the country and then I'm on to the next. Like a holiday romance except I can fuck her from the comfort of my own bed," Shane winked, obviously infatuated with his own prowess and a seeming certainty that this would happen.

Daryl began to fasten his tie around his neck to busy the hands that had the sudden urge to slam Shane's smug face into the locker.

"It's like a personal challenge now…" he carried on before Tyreese entered the office and said, "hey man… why don't you bring your sister to karaoke night again?"

"Not after last time."

Karaoke night was every Friday and Daryl hadn't joined in last week because of the night shifts, or the week before because there was no fucking way in hell he was going to stand on a stage and sing. _No fucking way_.

"I love a girl in uniform…" Shane laughed before he turned to Daryl and said, "she's a firefighter… she could put out the fire in my pants any day of the week."

"You better watch your mouth Walsh. I catch your pants anywhere near my sister and I'll shove your head up your ass…" Tyreese slammed his locker shut. "That's a promise."

Shane was relentless. Kate, Tyreese's sister, he was only interested in one thing. No wonder women thought men were assholes.

Daryl sat down to look at the security monitors, even though over the weekend he had promised that he wouldn't spend the entire week watching her. He could see Miss Uppity laughing with Lou before she left the exhibition hall. He followed her from one security screen to the next before it dawned on him; she was heading right for him. Daryl stood up and straightened his tie, _shit, act normal_. He fell back down in to the chair and grabbed the detective book as she rounded the corner.

Kate's eyes met his before they fell to the book with a smile that she held back by biting her lip. She reached forward and pinched the spine of his open book between her perfectly manicured thumb and forefinger. "I find it easier this way," she said as she turned the book right way up.

Daryl died inside and felt his cheeks burning before he managed to say, "I like a challenge."

Kate laughed and looked like she was going to say something when Shane sauntered out of the security office. "How can I help, Princess?"

"Could you please refrain from calling me that Mr Walsh," she said it with rolled eyes like it wasn't the first time.

"When you start calling me Shane I'll stop calling you Princess," he stepped closer to Kate, taking up her personal space but she held fast with a determined look on her face.

"I could think of something else to call you," she said tartly and Daryl snorted.

Shane looked to Daryl with a cocked eyebrow before he looked back to Kate and laughed, "you like Karaoke, Princess?"

"I'd like the keys for the cabinets."

Daryl threw the detective book on the desk as he stood up to collect the keys for her. He wanted her to be back in her glass cabinet where he could see her from the safety of the monitors instead of standing by while Shane tried to add another notch to his bedpost. Daryl wondered if the man's persistence would really work on Miss Uppity and the idea that it would bothered him more than he cared to admit.

 _Tuesday Afternoon_

"Are you still interested in going shooting?" Lou asked Daryl as they studied the crossbows behind the glass and told him all about their origins.

"Yeah, ya wanna go on saturday?"

"Aye, that'll be grand."

"Ya want me to pick ya up?"

The sound of Miss Uppity's high heels began to fill the hall. "No son, I'll make arrangements… now…" Lou nudged Daryl to another display case. "Let me tell you about the long bows…"

Daryl hadn't planned on spending so much time in Miss Uppity's metaphorical glass case but talking to Lou made the day pass by faster and there was something nice about talking to the old man. Maybe it was because out of all the curators at the museum and book learning types that Daryl had ever come across, Lou was the first one not to make him feel stupid. He didn't talk down to him. The conversation was two way and it was on a subject that Daryl actually had a genuine interest in. He liked learning about the history of his favourite weapon. He loved his crossbow but it had never occurred to him to think of where bows came from or how old they were. Old and almost unchanged. He was actually excited to take Lou shooting on the weekend.

 _Wednesday Morning_

Lou climbed into the passenger seat of Kate's car, "since you're picking me up lass…"

Kate interrupted and gestured her head to the backseat, "I've already bought donuts."

"Excellent." Without fail every time Kate had given Lou a lift in her car they had bought two dozen donuts. So when she had passed a donut drive in on the way to his house she had picked them up to save time and her own sanity. The man had a peculiar obsession with the sugary treats which involved staring at the display counter and hand selecting each one, no matter how long it took. She'd been through the process many times. Many many times.

Kate noticed Lou rubbing his knee, "you know I'd pick you up every day." He only asked her when his knee was particularly troubling him.

"Aye, but I like the bus. I met my Abby on a bus, the number 36…"

Lou had told her the story of how he wooed Abigale countless times but she never stopped him from re-telling it. She liked the far off look he got whenever he spoke about his late wife.

"Her car had broken down that day and I never did learn how to drive… you never know where you might meet someone do you lass?"

"I don't want to have this conversation again."

"You're young… it's too late for me now. Don't throw your life away."

"I'm not ready… besides… plenty of people find love in their seventies all the time. If you find a date…" Kate smirked, "then so will I."

"Touché, my dear," Lou chuckled before he looked at the donuts on the backseat. "Do you suppose I should have a donut for the journey?"

Kate gave him a disapproving look and didn't need to remind him of the last time he had eaten a donut in her car and somehow managed to get blueberry jam all over her glove box and in between the seats.

They made it to the museum with five minutes until opening time which in her books was late but Lou was the sort of man that could be forgiven for all indiscretions. Lateness, nosiness and messy donut eating.

"I'll have a cuppa if your making one lass," Lou eased himself onto a chair in the breakroom and cracked open one of the donut boxes while Kate put the kettle on.

The door creaked open and though her peripheral vision she saw Daryl Dixon walk in.

"Ah… good morning son, did you look at my book…" Said Lou.

Kate didn't hear a response except for the sound of a chair being dragged across the tile floor as she assumed Daryl took a seat at the table. She smiled to herself as she wondered if the security guard would be reading Lou's book upside down like the trashy detective novel from Monday. The friendship must have been getting serious between Mr Dixon and Lou if the old man was forcing him to read his book on archery.

She dropped tea bags into hers and Lou's cups before she looked over her shoulder to Daryl. He'd made her a cup of tea so she had no choice but to make him a coffee or things would be weird. She grabbed the same plain blue mug he'd used last week and set it next to hers while she listened to them discussing different brands of crossbow bolts.

Kate carried the hot drinks over to the table where Daryl stood up and held out his hands.

"Four sugars," she said as their gazes locked. How had she never noticed how blue his eyes were before now? Probably because she'd only ever noticed the challenge in the intense way he held her gaze. Just like he was doing right now. She suddenly felt nervous. She couldn't possibly look at those blue eyes any longer. Kate let her vision slip from his to Lou's mug before Daryl took it from her fingers and placed it on the table.

"Thank ya ma'am," His husky voice was probably a by-product of all his smoking but there was something impossibly seductive about it. Why did Lou keep inviting this man into their personal space? She didn't want to have so much time to be contemplating the gravelly cadence of someone's heavy southern accent.

Daryl removed his hat and dropped it to the table before he sat back down. Why did security guards wear hats anyway? It seemed redundant to wear a hat inside and in her opinion Daryl didn't suit it. She wasn't entirely sure he suited being a security guard. Not that she had spent too much time thinking about it. But there had been quiet intervals in the day when he had spoken to Lou or passed through the exhibition hall and her mind had stretched its legs and wandered. There was something about the stubble that seemed to permanently shadow his chin, his rough calloused hands, the hint of a bicep when he moved his arm and his dirty old truck that betrayed his pressed grey trousers, black tie and utility belt. He seemed like that sort of man that belonged in the outdoors. Sunshine and mud, rough and dirty. Even in his silly hat he looked like the kind of man that could be rough, dirty, dangerous even. On second thoughts maybe she had indeed spent some time thinking about it.

Kate's mind was wandering so far from the realms of appropriate thought that the sound of Lou's voice saying her name startled her.

"Have a donut," Lou commanded and Kate tore her eyes from Daryl to look in the box. The old man's donuts fetish was terrible for her waistline but they all looked so delicious that she gave in to temptation like she always did. She considered them all before reaching for the donut that was smothered in a thick layer of chocolate icing and topped with crumbled cookie. Her fingers brushed lightly against Daryl's as he reached for the same one. The touch was so light that it could hardly be called a touch but it sent a wave of tingles across her arm before she jerked her hand away.

"You have it," he said quickly.

"No… you... I insist… in fact I should be heading out. People will be arriving shortly," Kate grabbed her tea and left the break room as quickly as she could without looking as odd as she was feeling.

Lou was right, she was becoming so much of a recluse that the slightest caress from another human was enough to make her feel like jelly. When the two men finally emerged from the breakroom she snuck behind a display case and waited until it was only her and Lou. She'd had enough of Daryl Dixon and his rough dirty hands for one day.

"I thought about what you said in the car lass." Lou said as he pointed to a woman who was standing by a painting across the hall from the exhibition room. Kate stared at the lady with grey hair and a pink dress on. What on earth was he talking about?

"Here I go," Lou winked and it occurred to Kate he was going to ask this woman on a date.

"You can't be serious," Kate called to the back of his head as he strolled over, swinging his cane and approached the woman. She stood rooted to the spot as she watched them talking. What Lou was saying she had absolutely no idea, all that she knew was that she'd created a monster. She hadn't meant to challenge him, simply deter him from discussing her love life which he seemed to think was a subject open for debate.

Lou came storming back as fast as his knee would allow and his cheeks were burning bright red, "aye I'm too old for this bollocks, you win lass."

Kate stifled her grin and patted his shoulder sympathetically. "Tea?"

"Oh aye."

 _Thursday Evening_

Kate pulled into the gas station down the road from the museum and it wasn't until she was out of her car and pulling on some disposable gloves from a box next to the pumps that she realised she was parked directly behind Daryl's truck. His shirt sleeves were rolled up and she grabbed a pair of gloves as she watched him lean one hand on his truck and pump his gas.

She felt awkward. Should she say hello or pretend she hadn't seen him? She dithered and he noticed her standing there, frozen like a statue. His gaze swept from her to her mustang and back again. "Ya need help?" he asked and she couldn't tell if he was being patronising or sincere.

"Of course not," she huffed as she decided on the former. Who the hell would need help filling up their fuel tank anyway?

Kate could feel Daryl's eyes following her as she marched to open the petrol cap. Bloody hell, it was locked, she tried to act nonchalant as she made her way back to the driver's side to pop the cap. The smug little smile on his face was enough to make her want to flip him the bird but she refrained. She didn't know why she was letting him get under her skin. They had barely interacted. Unlike Shane who by now had told her his entire life story. But it was Daryl with his intense looks that made her feel exposed.

She paid for her fuel and headed to the supermarket to pick up something for dinner. Kate grabbed a basket and threw in a mango, a mixed bag of salad leaves, chicken and a jar of green pesto. Mango chicken salad was something she could easily prepare, especially if the chicken was already cooked. She was busy looking for ice cream when she bumped into Daryl again. Right in the frozen food aisle.

"Ya followin' me?" he said and she felt the redness of her cheeks betraying her as she cast a quick look to the six pack of beers in his hand.

"Perhaps you're following me," she tried to ignore him as she dropped a tub of mint choc chip ice cream in her basket. Part of her didn't want him to know she was going home to eat ice cream alone but then the other part of her was more interested in eating ice cream and wondering why in the world she cared what Daryl Dixon thought. She didn't care, she flicked her hair over her shoulder and left him to do whatever it was he was doing.

 _Friday Afternoon_

"Real shame you ain't coming out tonight," Hailee placed her hand on Daryl's shoulder as she took a seat next to him in the breakroom. He grunted in between big mouthfuls of his turkey sandwich and could feel her eyes staring a hole into the side of his face.

"Shane even thinks he can convince that stuck up bitch to come along," Hailee rolled her eyes.

Daryl's stomach turned over, "he does?" he tried to remain cool as he watched the woman opening up her pot of salad then pour on the dressing.

"Yeah, I don't see why. I mean I don't know who she thinks she is…"

Hailee was about to start on a jealous tirade when Daryl interrupted her, "how did he manage that?"

"I don't know. You know what Shane's like… he could sell sand to eskimo's" Hailee cocked her bleach blonde head to the side while she considered what she had just said before shrugging her shoulders. "Let's talk about this weekend, you have any plans? Your always so quiet and…" she popped a cherry tomato in her mouth before she added, "mysterious."

Daryl laughed out loud. First time he'd been called mysterious. Asshole, redneck, redneck asshole, they were the sort of things he was used to being called.

"Maybe I will come along to Karaoke," he decided as he took a big bite of his sandwich and tried to ignore the rest of the prattling that Hailee was spewing down his ear.

 **A/N-** Thank you to everyone who has started following this and added it to favourites!


	4. Karaoke Night

_Friday Night_

The phone rang and Kate tried to ignore it but it filled the silence so fully with its shrill demands that she was forced to pick it up.

"It's Friday night lass," Lou's warm voice drifted down the line as she put the receiver to her ear.

"I know."

There was a long pause and Kate used the time to pick a bottle of red wine from the rack and sit it on her kitchen counter.

"When I was your age I'd be out on a Friday night."

"You were married with two children when you were my age."

"Before I was married then…"

There was another long pause. Kate searched the kitchen drawers in her rental house to find the corkscrew.

"Karaoke might not be your cup of tea, but it's better than sitting alone with a glass of wine."

She looked at the empty wine glass in her hand and then over her shoulder. _How did he know?_ She hated that he knew. She hated that this was what she had become. A lonely widow that could hardly stand the idea of socialising. "I might still go," she said but she knew it probably wasn't true.

"It's up to you lass… I called to ask a favour… tomorrow I would like to go bird watching. It's some place out in the woods that was recommended… I have the directions… I wondered if you could give me a lift."

Birdwatching, of all things that she wouldn't want to do. "Of course."

Lou asked her to pick him up at ten, then reiterated the reasons she should go out, before he finally said goodnight. Kate placed the bottle of wine back on the rack and sat down on an armchair in the living room. The rental was fully furnished and modern, it had clean lines with a grey and white colour scheme. Like an insane asylum, she had thought more than once.

The lamp next to the chair was the only light that was on and she stared at all the furniture and pieces of art that decorated the room. Already she knew every line of this living room by heart. She'd had almost two full weeks of evenings and weekends staring at the four walls.

A pile of best sellers sat on the glass coffee table. Crisp and unopened because despite the quiet and the loneliness she couldn't bring herself to read.

/

Daryl pulled his truck into the carpark of the karaoke bar and stared at the building while he considered whether he was actually going to go in or not. What the hell was he even doing here? He didn't want to admit it was to see Miss Uppity but there was little other reason. There was something about admitting that he wanted to see her outside of work that made him feel weird.

He climbed out of his truck and lit a cigarette as he headed for the entrance. Hailee was stood outside in a tiny denim mini skirt, a purple halter neck top and some cow boy boots. She stubbed out her cigarette and waved him over. "You came!"

"Yeah," Daryl threw his smoke to the ground with the sudden feeling that he didn't want to stand outside and finish it. He opened the door of the bar and what had been the faint sound of music blared into an ear splitting blast. Hailee walked through the door he was holding then pulled him along too.

Daryl pried his hand from the blonde as he spotted Shane, Tyreese and couple of the other members of staff standing around a table with their beers. It didn't escape his notice that Kate wasn't there and he groaned. He made his way to the bar to get a drink. He was driving so he could only have one beer but it would have to be enough to help him stand a night of amateur singing, and Shane. _Goddammit_ , as if he didn't get enough of the bald headed lothario when they were at work, now he was subjecting himself to an entire evening of the man and his eye watering layer of cologne.

Hailee sidled up next to him with a 'butter wouldn't melt' smile and twirled her blonde hair around her finger. He tried to ignore her but she only inched closer. She was so fucking close that he felt her breasts pressing against his arm. "Ain't you gonna offer to buy me a drink?"

"Don't ya have a boyfriend for that?" He'd been the other guy once before. He'd fucked another man's girl in his truck outside of a bar when he was in his twenties and had got the ass whooping of a lifetime from her man and two of his friends. He hadn't known he was the third wheel that time and to hell with being the third wheel this time. That was exactly the kind of shit that Merle liked to do. His brother would have been all over Hailee and her tiny skirt like a fly on shit.

"He's kind of an asshole," she said with a strained laugh to take the edge off the miserable look on her face.

Daryl ordered a beer then thought about his Mama and changed it to two. He couldn't help but compare Hailee to his Mama who had once been the pretty girl with an asshole boyfriend that she wouldn't, or couldn't, leave. He paid for the beers and passed one to Hailee. He felt like he should say something, depart some words of wisdom, but the moment passed.

"You sing Dixon?" Shane grinned as Daryl and Hailee joined the group at the table.

Daryl took a swig of beer, "no." that was final. It would take more than one beer to get him to sing. A gun to his head _might_ do it. But that was it. He wasn't even sure a gun would work.

/

Kate brushed her fingers along the clothes in her wardrobe to choose what she would wear if she did go out. Black skinny jeans, an olive green chiffon shirt and some black Chelsea boots. She tried the outfit on the looked in the mirror. She tucked the shirt into the jeans and undid the top two buttons. _This was stupid._ The last time she had been to a karaoke bar was at university and it had involved tequila, a hell of a lot of tequila. She hated singing in public.

Kate grabbed her phone and headed downstairs while she scrolled through the music to find 'The Killers'. That band, and Indie music in general, reminded her of her time at university and her drunken karaoke night. She played Mr Brightside and placed her iPhone on the dock to let the music fill the room. Her eyes fell on the bottle of wine. _Fuck it_ , she was a grown woman. She could do whatever she wanted to do and if that involved being a lonely wine drinking loser then that was what she would do.

Kate poured the wine and sang along with the song. Then her eyes landed on the silver frames that were sitting on her sideboard. The smiling faces in the pictures were judging her. Ryan was judging her, even now. God sometimes she thought he had hated her but he was too fucking polite to say it in words. He said it in frowns, eye rolls and a plethora of 'must you do that?' She poured the wine down the sink, grabbed her bag and marched out of her house to hail a taxi.

The whole cab ride she had folded and unfolded her hands and tapped her foot like the beating of a humming birds heart. What the hell was she doing right now? The car pulled up and Kate could see the bright neon sign of the Karaoke bar. It was a dive, the likes of which she hadn't stepped foot in since she was a teenager. She imagined sticky carpets, peeling wallpaper and toilets that were only used for vomiting in. _This was a fucking stupid idea._

/

Daryl had drunk his beer, followed by two cokes. It was 10pm. Kate wasn't coming. He didn't know whether to be glad about that or disappointed. On the one hand he was happy that she had stood up Shane's request, but on the other hand _she wasn't here_ and the longer the night had dragged on the more he had wanted to see her. He didn't know what was wrong with him. He barely knew Kate and they had nothing in common but sharing a workplace.

What was it about the uppity ass brunette that was luring him like a fish to bait? Maybe it was because she felt forbidden, she was too fancy and smart for him which made her a challenge. Or maybe it was because she was sexy in an understated sort of way. Hailee was all push up bra's and bleach blonde hair, shoving her ass in his face every time he looked her way. Kate was well-tailored, like a lady. She was always so ridiculously put together that he couldn't help but think about rolling her in some mud and doing something naughty.

Shane was giving him a hard time about not singing so he decided to call it a night. This had been a huge fucking waste of his time. He stepped outside to find Hailee with a face full of tears. She'd left the bar twenty minutes ago declaring that she was meeting her boyfriend and they were going to go for dinner

"Ya alright?" Daryl asked.

Hailee shoved her phone in her bag before she pulled out a packet of cigarettes. "My lift can't come and get me…"

Daryl sighed heavily. She meant her asshole boyfriend wasn't getting her. Daryl looked Hailee up and down before he nodded to his truck, "I'll drop ya off…" The last thing he wanted was for her to be walking around the streets at this time and getting herself into trouble. He couldn't understand why her man would want to leave her stranded and he couldn't understand why she would want to be with someone who would do that. But then Daryl knew practically fuck all about relationships.

/

Kate stood across the street from the bar when she spotted Daryl with the gift shop girl. He lit her cigarette before he lit his own. She wondered if he sung on the karaoke but she had the distinct impression that he didn't. Then she wondered if she should go and speak to them but before she moved a muscle she watched them walking to Daryl's truck. He opened the door for the blonde and she got inside.

Kate looked at her watch, it was already quarter past ten. She questioned again what she was doing here before she allowed herself to consider that Mr Dixon was taking the gift shop girl home with him. Did it bother her? It bothered her a bit, which was a bit more than she was happy with.

Kate pictured Shane waiting inside with his lewd remarks and an endless supply of alcohol. _This was stupid._ She didn't belong here or anywhere really. But especially in this karaoke bar. She wasn't going to sing. She didn't want to encourage Shane. This was a mistake. Before Daryl's blue truck left the carpark she was gone. She began to walk home. The night was warm and it was actually nice to be out. She walked past bars and restaurants which were filled with all kinds of people. Normal, happy people.

Kate took a seat on a bench outside of a pizzeria and pulled out her phone to look at her photo's. What was she even doing? Not just now but every day. She felt listless, like she was just existing. There was nothing to look forward to, she drifted from one day to the next and in the end there was nothing. She considered going back to the karaoke bar and pretending to be a normal person but she didn't. She stood up and kept walking.

/

Hailee dabbed her cheeks with the back of her hand and gave him directions to her house.

When they were waiting at a set of traffic lights she moved to sit right next to him. Her long leg pressing against his as she smiled. The tears were gone and she was back to her hair curling and pouting, "we can go back to yours if ya wanna…" she leaned forward and placed a small kiss on his jaw as her hand swept along his thigh.

Daryl's cock twitched at the feel of her hand teasing so close to where it sat safely in his jeans. He was only human and he hadn't been with a woman in so long. He almost gave in, until he remembered that this girl had been crying her eyes out only minutes ago. He might have been horny as hell but he wasn't an asshole and if he faced facts there was really only one woman that had been invading his most intimate thoughts. One brown haired woman that had got him into this pent up state.

Daryl picked Hailee's hand from his thigh and placed it on her lap. "Left or right?" he nodded to the crossroads up ahead. _Jesus_ , he was almost regretting his decision.

Hailee sank back into the seat and clutched her handbag to her chest, "left." She remained in the same position for the rest of the journey until they were outside her house and she was letting herself out of his truck with the hard slamming on the door. _Shit_ , he maybe should have said something. In fact, if he was smart, he should have probably taken her up on her offer but he was never very good at doing the smart thing. He liked to do the pig headed, pain in the ass, challenging thing. Besides, he didn't have a place to take a woman back to and tomorrow he was getting up early to prepare for his shooting trip with Lou.

/

Kate had walked for over an hour. The cab ride had seemed so short. She stood in front of a derelict old house. It had chain-link fences all around it. Attached to the fences were 'danger, do not cross' notices. It looked so sad, grey and empty. A house without people. She crouched down, picked up a rock and squeezed it until the hard ridges left little red dents in her soft palms. Then she drew her arm back and with all her might let the rock fly from her hand and rocket towards the house. It hit the upper left hand window with a loud smash.

The noise awoke a chorus of dogs and she felt a thrill of fright pulse through her veins before she picked up a second rock and did the same again. This time it bounced of the siding and fell limp to the floor.

Kate felt a beam of light illuminating her like a spotlight before she looked over her shoulder to see curtains twitching in the house across the road. The fact that she was acting like a lunatic wasn't escaping her as she wrapped her arms around herself and carried on down the street where she spotted a park. She let the restless feelings that were filling her from head to toe guide her to the gates.

The heavy metal entrance was locked for the night which only added to the appeal. Kate ran her hand along the twists and curves of the metalwork that was layered in a thousand coats of shiny black paint. Her handbag slipped from her shoulder, into her hand where she threw it over the gate just like she had thrown the rocks. She had no choice but to climb over now.

When her feet touched the grass of the park she was submerged in darkness. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and danger pricked at her senses. She knew better than to go wandering in a park at almost midnight. This was a very silly thing to do yet she found herself pulling the long strap of her handbag over her head and joining the darkness and whatever lurked behind the trees.

Kate walked past a swing set, where the four swings glided back and forth in anticipation of the sunshine and the happy little children that would be jumping in their seats and flying to the moon. She watched the hypnotic swinging for a moment until the hushed murmur of voices seemed to fill the air. The breeze picked up and caught her hair in its whistling as she spun around. She could see a flicker of light through the tall bushes and rounded the corner to follow it. She spotted the people that belonged to the voices. It was a small group standing around a steel drum filled with fire.

"Ya wanna party?" one of them said and she paused for a moment. What exactly was she doing right now? Had she completely lost her mind somewhere along the walk home? She could hear Ryan right now, "must you do this Kate?"

The man said something else but she didn't hear him instead she ran. She ran and ran and ran until the blood was filling the back of her throat and she was back in her perfect clean lined rental asylum, slamming the door shut.

The bottle of wine sat on the counter, leaving a red ring on the wood. She poured herself a glass as she kicked off her shoes, letting them fly to the hall with a clatter against the wall. Then Kate looked at the framed photograph's and raised her drink, "Ryan… sometimes I forget… but you could be such an insufferable prick."

Tomorrow she would do better at being normal. She'd be with Lou, even if it was birdwatching.


	5. Birdwatching

_Saturday_

The second Kate pulled her mustang into the tiny wood side layby she spotted the familiar blue truck and cast a questioning eye towards Lou. "Birdwatching? Is that code for hunting with Daryl Dixon?"

"Plenty of birds in the forest lass."

Daryl was sitting on the flat bed of his truck with a cigarette hanging out the corner of his mouth and a crossbow across his knees.

"What did you think I had in the case?" Lou said.

"I thought you had giant bird watching binoculars… I assumed you weren't lying to me…" Kate had the mind to drive away. She didn't like being deceived and Lou had clearly planned this.

"I didn't lie. I didn't say Daryl _wouldn't_ be here."

"That's lying by omission Lou and you know it…" Any argument she might have had with the sneaky old man was invalid since Lou was already out of the car swinging his cane and greeting Daryl.

Kate gripped the steering wheel and let out an agitated breath as she watched them through her wing mirror. She didn't want to be here. She didn't want to spend the whole day with Daryl Dixon. She convinced herself that it wasn't because he took the gift shop girl home in his truck last night, it was because she didn't like… doing things that she hadn't agreed to do with people who she hadn't agreed to see.

/

The sight of Kate's mustang had made Daryl's stomach turn over. He wasn't sure how he thought Lou was going to be making his way this far out of town but he hadn't even considered that Miss Uppity would bring him. He looked down at his cargo pants and his shirt with the ripped sleeves and suddenly felt very under dressed. He'd felt prepared to see her last night, where there was beer and loud music but this was the cold light of day and there was nowhere to hide.

Daryl stubbed his cigarette out to take Lou's outstretched hand. "Help me with the case son," he gestured to the Mustang and Daryl hesitated. he wasn't sure he was in any position to be helping himself to the woman's trunk. Lou urged him along and before he decided to approach Kate and ask permission or go straight for the crossbow the driver's door clicked open and she stepped out.

Daryl didn't know how he expected Miss Uppity to look outside of work but he didn't expect how she did look. She had her bouncy hair tied back, a pair of ray bans that were almost identical to his own, ripped blue jeans, grey tee shirt and a pair of beaten up white converse. She wasn't wearing makeup and she looked softer, more approachable. But damn she was still pretty, she was still sexy, he might have liked her even more this way.

"Good morning," she said as she tightened her ponytail, the motion lifting the hem of her shirt to reveal the smallest glance of her creamy white skin.

"Mornin'," Daryl swallowed down hard and tried not to be a fucking pervert.

"Did you have a nice evening?" she said suddenly and he thought about his evening spent waiting in some shithole bar to get a glimpse of her.

"Err… sure, it was alright."

Kate opened the trunk of her car to reveal a large grey hard plastic case.

"Let me…" he grabbed it. It was Lou's crossbow so he figured she couldn't get too tetchy but he sensed her stiffen as he stepped into her personal space. She wasn't wearing the perfume she usually wore but she smelled nice, like coconuts and summertime. Probably sun tan lotion since her skin was so creamy.

/

Kate grabbed the plaid shirt she'd put in her boot and tied it around her waist before she reached for her backpack. She'd brought snacks and water for two. It probably wasn't too late for her to make an excuse and leave Lou here with Daryl but then she couldn't stand the idea of being alone all day.

Daryl had planned the location well for Lou. The walk to the place where they could do target practice wasn't too taxing and the men had spent the entirety of it talking and leaving Kate feeling like a spare part on their man date. When they started to get Lou's crossbow out of the case it was like watching two excitable little boys rather than grown men.

"Come here lass… Iet me show you how it's done."

Lou passed Kate the antique crossbow and pointed to the crank on the side, "wind it anti clockwise."

It was stiff. She could barely get it moving.

"Ah… I haven't used it in nearly a year… perhaps you should try it son…" Lou nodded to Daryl and his generous biceps.

Kate shot them both a look. She was determined. To hell with Daryl's arms. She wasn't going to be bested. She knelt down and leaned the crossbow on her knee to give her greater purchase as she pushed the handle with all her strength. Thanks to Lou, she had all day.

/

Kate was the kind of woman that would rather break her wrist, her arm, probably every bone in her body, than let a man do something for her. Daryl was the kind of man that only offered help to those who wanted it. If she wanted to be stubborn, he was more than happy to watch. She loosened the crank and he caught the satisfied look on her face with a small snort. She was a pain in the ass woman.

When the mechanism was turned all the way Lou passed her one of his arrows and showed her where to load it. The bow was ready and just as Daryl was disappointed that he didn't get the first go he realised Kate was aiming it straight at him.

"Jesus, ya tryin' to kill me woman?" he jumped forward and grabbed her shoulders to turn her to where she could fire safely. Daryl didn't let go of Kate's shoulder instead he leaned closer and pointed between the trees as he breathed her in. "I set up a target… ya see it?"

"I see it."

He reached around her waist and lifted her elbow so the crossbow was lined up right then took a step back. There was only so long he could take being pressed against her. _Fucking hell_ , it wasn't normal to feel the way he felt after merely standing next to someone. His heart beat faster, his palms were sweaty and his throat was dry.

"I say loser buys lunch…" Lou clapped his hands together.

Kate wrinkled her nose in concentration and the arrow flew, faster and straighter than he would have expected from the old crossbow. It flew straight past the target and lodged into a tree.

"Shall we call that a practice shot?" Kate declared and began winding the bow again.

Daryl leaned back on a tree to watch her. He began wondering if out here he was allowed to call her by her first name.

Kate missed again and Daryl laughed out loud which bought him a playful scowl from her big brown eyes. He reckoned he could probably call her Kate if he needed to. But there was no point testing his luck. "My turn…" he held out his hand and she relinquished the bow. The pressure was on. He had to prove himself to Miss Uppity and he had the feeling he might never live it down if he missed.

Before he wound the mechanism Daryl studied every detail of the carved wood. It really was beautiful; unlike any crossbow he'd ever seen before. He could hardly believe he was allowed to touch it, let alone shoot it. He'd hesitated enough and now he had to prove himself. He was quietly confident in his skills. Miss Uppity might have been the queen of the museum but he was the king of the jungle.

"Not every day I get my dinner bought for me," he said smugly before he even took the shot. He lined up the target and fired, the arrow hit the mark. Not central like he would have got with his own bow but close enough.

"Very good," Lou held out his hand for his go and he too hit the mark which surprised Daryl even though he wasn't sure why. Of course a man with such an interest in weaponry would be proficient. But he'd only ever been hunting with his redneck friends, never a man like Lou, who had surprising eyesight for a man of his age.

"She'll be getting a monk on now…" Lou jested and Daryl looked to Kate who rolled her eyes.

"Well I'd hardly call it a fair competition…" she said.

"I could move the target closer… make it a little easier for ya…" Daryl stood in front of Miss Uppity and her irritation was palpable.

"You mentioned a hide…" Lou interrupted and Daryl was quick to retreat. He didn't know what he was thinking of challenging the woman. She was a little bit intimidating.

/

They sat in a hunters hide for the longest time while they waited in silence. Kate was in the middle and the men had their crossbows poised and ready. Although she wasn't sure how ready Lou was since he had dozed off more than once. The long morning of walking and the humidity of the hot Georgia heat was obviously more than a man in his seventies could handle.

It was hot, silent and awkward. Kate's entire right hand side was pressed against Daryl's left and she tried to fight the urge to fidget. What was it about sitting so close to a near stranger than made sitting still feel impossible? She couldn't recall the last time she had spent so long in such close proximity to another person. She could feel every move he made.

The sound of Lou's heavy, sleepy breaths filled the silent hide once more and Kate's eyes met with Daryl's as they shared the same smirk. She was starting to think she should say something when the faint sound of rustling caught their attention.

Daryl leant forward and looked down the sight of his crossbow and she watched the ripple of his muscle moving under his tanned skin before she peered through the tiny window to see a female deer sniffing at the grass, she looked so majestic. Kate had never seen a wild deer before. She felt Daryl shift and her heart went in her throat as she shouted "don't."

The deer looked right at them before almost instantly running away. Daryl's arrow flew through the air to destinations unknown. Lou remained asleep.

"Whatcha do that for?"

"I couldn't bare to watch it."

"What did ya think was gonna happen? We've been waitin' 'ere for hours…" he didn't seem too impressed.

"I didn't think you'd actually _kill_ something"

"Didn't realise you were a vegetarian."

"I'm not. The deer… she's not like a chicken, raised to be slaughtered… she'd wild and free…" Kate looked at Daryl and hesitated, this was his hobby, she should probably stop her tirade. "Maybe you'll catch her next time…"

/

Daryl looked into Kate's big brown eyes. He was sitting so close to her that he could probably count each one of her long lashes. He had the sudden feeling that he might never kill another deer again. _Damn woman._

"What's ya feelin's on squirrels and rabbits, City Girl?"

Kate pulled a face and Daryl couldn't help but shake his head with a small laugh. She was about the worse damn hunting partner that could have possibly be sitting in this hide with him right now but he was somehow enjoying every second of it.

"I'll have to start doin' all my huntin' down at Chick-fil-A…" Daryl laughed opened the door to the hide before he climbed down the short ladder.

Kate followed him and he held out his hand to help her down. Such a simple gesture, but the anticipation of her placing her hand in his made his heart beat a little faster. Her big brown eyes looked at his hand for what felt like the longest time. So long that it occurred to him that she didn't need to be helped up at all. In fact, he was only doing it because he wanted to feel her palm against his. He wasn't disappointed. Kate took his hand and the entirety of it fit inside of his own as he wrapped his fingers around her and helped her down.

"What now?" she asked as she pulled her hand from his.

"Gotta find my bolt…" he smirked and together they walked through the trees in the direction it had flown.

When they found the bolt it was resting in a tree on the other side of a creek. He scratched his chin and looked at the water, then at Kate, who was biting the smile on her lips.

"Whatever will you do now Mr Dixon?" she taunted him.

Daryl dropped his crossbow to the ground and stood at the edge of the water. Maybe it was his ego and his balls doing the thinking but he needed to retrieve his bolt for the sake of personal pride. He reached his foot out to a rock that jutted out of the stream and no sooner was his other foot leaving the safety of the grass was he slipping and falling into the water with a huge, undignified splash.

/

Kate tried to hold in the laughter with the back of her hand but it was useless. She doubled over and the pissed off look on his face only amused her more. He splashed through the water to the other side, retrieved his bolt and stomped all the way back.

"Very well done," she teased and he threw the bolt next to the crossbow.

"Thank ya ma'am… glad I could amuse ya so goddamn much…" he tried in vain to shake the water out of his shirt but he was head to toe soaking wet and the fabric clung to him like a second skin. Kate found herself staring at him a little too long. So long that when he caught her gaze she blushed, cleared her throat and tried to act relaxed. But she wasn't relaxed, the idea of watching him taking off those wet clothes had crossed her mind as well as the disappointment that he wasn't going to. Maybe all this heat was making her crazy.

Daryl gave a crooked smile, picked up his crossbow and said "let's go get Lou."

/

Daryl led his English acquaintances along the short hike to his grandpa's farm where he knew he could collect some dry clothes. Even though he was completely embarrassed from falling into the creek he wasn't ready for the day to be over and he wasn't lying when he said he was glad to amuse her. Despite his wet pants and socks he enjoyed the big smile that lit up her face. Now he knew that all he had to do was make a complete ass out of himself since the woman had the slapstick sense of humour of a small child.

Dale was on the porch when they reached the farmhouse. "Afternoon Daryl, you didn't say you were stopping by…" he began then as Lou and Kate came into view his smile widened to a grin. "And you brought guests… Irma will be pleased." Dale jumped down from the porch and shook hands with Lou and then Kate before ushering them into the house.

Dale and Irma had bought Daryl's Grandpa's farm 25 years ago but they had always left the door open for him. Even when he had gone through his worst patches and not spoken to them or anyone on the right side of the law for several years. To his shame he'd even distanced himself from Jim for a good few years at one low point. He often wondered what would have happened if he hadn't continually followed Merle down the wrong path.

Sometimes Daryl didn't know what was wrong with him. He had Dale, Irma, Jim and Charlene as his friends for most of his life. It was still easier to believe all the shit that his Daddy had been telling him since the day Daryl could understand the crap Will Dixon spouted from his hate filled mouth. It was easier to think that all he had was Merle when it was just him and Merle. He supposed it was easy with his brother because no matter what bad shit he did, Daryl could never let Merle down.

Everyone took a seat in the living room on the dusty pink sofas that had been in the house as long as the Horvath's had. Irma made a huge fuss over her guests as she ran into the kitchen to get everyone a glass of ice tea.

Daryl watched Kate sitting in the easy chair by the window in the house that was as familiar to him as the back of his own hand. For a moment he let himself imagine that she was his girl and his drunken loser daddy had never sold the farm and land that had been built and tended to by Dixon's for a hundred years. His Daddy, with his fists, drinking, gambling and whoring had turned their name to shit. Daryl and Merle had only compounded that fact.

"You'll be staying for supper I hope?" Irma said.

Daryl hung in the doorway not wanting to get water on anything while Mrs Horvath looked from Kate to Lou for an answer.

"Oh Aye, if it isn't too much trouble for you my dear I reckon supper would be splendid," Lou smiled and made himself even comfier in the chair as Irma passed him a tall glass of ice tea.

"No trouble at all… we don't get enough visitors around here." She turned to Daryl and held up her hands in shock, "what happened to you Daryl? You're as wet as a duck."

"I took a little dip in the creek s'all."

The look of amusement crossed Kate's face and she swallowed it down with a big gulp of ice tea.

/

The feast that Irma spread across the table was probably enough to feed ten. Ham, mashed potatoes, biscuits and a million sides and sauces. The middle aged lady didn't sit still as she fussed over everyone making sure they had everything they needed. When she was satisfied that Kate and Lou had enough food piled on their plates she finally took a seat and let Lou carry on telling her about his grandkids.

"Violet said there's some photos in my mails…" Lou passed Kate his phone.

She opened the screen and logged into his email to find the pictures. "Lou she sent you these over a month ago…"

"Aye I forgot."

Kate downloaded the pictures and had a quick flick through, "I can't believe how grown up Tilly is…"

"Aye she's leaving secondary school next year," Lou took the phone from Kate and showed Irma his 15 year old granddaughter Matilda and his 11 year old Grandson Isaac. "They're my daughter's kids, my son Christopher is married to his green beret I'm afraid… eternal bachelor," Lou said and Kate saw all eyes fall onto Daryl who was scooping the last of his potatoes into his mouth and oblivious.

"We never had children," Irma stood up to gather the plates. "Peach pie for dessert," she declared and Kate placed her hand over her stomach. She was hardly sure she could fit another mouthful of food without bursting at the seams. This was the best she had eaten in a long time.

The sweet smell of the pie and the dollop of what looked like home made vanilla ice cream was enticing enough to create some room in her full tummy and she managed half before admitting defeat. It was so delicious Kate almost asked Irma if she could take a slice home before deciding that would be cheeky and make her look like a glutton.

Daryl suggested that they, "go pick up the cars and then come back for Lou."

"I could drive you down," Dale said.

"It ain't too far to walk," Daryl looked at Kate and let her decide.

"I'll walk." She actually relished the idea of walking off all that food and she didn't mind Mr Dixon's company. She might have even liked it. He didn't fill the quiet with blathering or constantly check his phone and he was actually rather witty. Plus, he smelled good. Actually he smelt very good, he smelt like sandalwood and she knew the smell immediately because it was exactly what she would burn if he was a scented candle. Daryl Dixon flavour, _sandalwood and tobacco_.

/

It was dark when they left the house to find the cars. Daryl lit a cigarette and watched her pulling on her flannel shirt. They were all alone out here and he felt nervous. Like a boy on a first date. Except this wasn't a date. Did he want to go out on a date with her? She'd be leaving soon. He never went on dates with anyone. _Why'd she have to be leaving?_

They passed the road that led to Daryl's Daddy's house. He hadn't stepped foot inside that house for nearly five years but he saw his father from time to time. It was impossible not to see Will Dixon since he was the loudest and drunkest asshole in town. He was usually stumbling around the woods and cursing anyone that came his way. Sometimes Daryl had to collect his Daddy from Joe's Bar when he had got out of hand. He would push him out of his truck onto the porch and leave him in a sorry pile. He hated that fucking house.

Daryl stubbed his cigarette out in the dirt and looked at Kate once more. What the hell was he thinking setting his sights on a girl like her? He wasn't even good enough for the trashy girls. He certainly wasn't good enough for Miss Uppity.

The problem was that Daryl was starting to realise that he didn't just like looking at her. He liked her. He might not have known the exact reasons why Kate was catching his attention compared to any other woman he'd ever met but he couldn't deny it. Maybe this was the one area of his life where he actually had good taste. _Expensive fucking tastes_ he laughed under his breath.

If she said no he would only have to suffer her rejection for the next six weeks and then he could forget about her. If she said yes, maybe he could touch her soft skin and lean his face into her neck to inhale the heady smell of perfume. He could enact the thoughts that had found him when he slept and dreamt about soft lips, big brown eyes and curves in all the right places.

The layby where the cars were parked was in sight and he had to say something. Fear gripped him, six weeks of rejection was an awful long time if he really thought about it. Kate pressed the button on her key and the lights of the Mustang flashed before she opened the door.

Daryl swallowed the dry feeling in his throat and ignored every instinct that told him this was a stupid idea. He wanted to go out on a date with her. "Ya still owe me dinner…" he said, trying to keep his voice even. Inside he was a fucking mess.

Kate laughed and climbed into her car. Not a yes, not a no. What the fuck did that even mean? Shit, maybe he should have said 'would you like to go for dinner?' like a normal man. Daryl got into his truck and kicked himself. _Goddammit_ , he was terrible at this. He'd never even taken a girl to dinner in his life. The one girl that he could have called his girlfriend was when he was a teenager and what they did was hardly what he would call dating. It was more like screwing around.

Kate followed Daryl's truck back to the farm where Lou got in to her car before asking Daryl to collect his crossbow from the house.

"Promise you'll come back again. You didn't even see the horses and Daryl has such a way with them…" Irma told Kate. The middle aged lady had more game than he did. He should get Irma to make all his arrangements.

"I promise," Kate said and let Irma give her a kiss on the cheek and an all-encompassing hug. Miss Uppity was being nice, sweet even. He liked her soft sweet side almost as much as he liked her haughty, eye rolling side.

"Goodnight Mr Dixon… thank you for a nice day," Kate smiled as she walked past him to get into her car.

He could hardly believe that having spent the entire day with the woman he had the distinct feeling that it hadn't been enough. Daryl could usually barely stand his own company for an entire day, but then he didn't have as nice an ass as she did.

He waited with Irma to watch the car pull away then the lady grabbed his arm, "well that was lovely, it's nice to see you making new friends. Kate is a little doll. Be sure to bring her back won't you…"

"I'll try," he hoped before remembering that Jim had requested that he try and stay out of the house for the evening. His friend was taking Charlene out for a fancy dinner and finally asking her to marry him. Jim had said that it was probably best he wasn't in the house when he was 'getting the good stuff.' Daryl would have rather slept outside than listen in on that. "Would it be alright if I stayed 'ere tonight?"

"Of course… now you can tell me all about your new job and your new friends." _Jesus_ , maybe he should have just slept outside.


	6. Week Three

_Monday Morning_

Daryl grabbed his belt and tie out of his locker and left Rick to watch the monitors while he began a walk around. Who was he kidding? He knew exactly where he was heading. He straightened his hat and tie before he stepped into the exhibition hall to catch a glimpse of Kate. Seeing her through the monitor was no longer good enough, he wanted her in colour.

She smiled when she saw him and he felt the buzz of bees in his stomach. She was wearing her figure hugging red dress and skyscraper heels that made her look like sex on legs. Holy fuck, the more he saw her the sexier he thought she was. He'd probably be drooling like a dog at the sight of her by the end of the month.

Daryl stepped close enough to Kate so that he could see the hint of Georgia suntan on her nose and a light scattering of freckles on her arms. The familiar smell of her perfume began to fill up his nose. He'd missed the sultry smell of it on Saturday. It intoxicated him and he found himself saying, "what ya doin' for lunch today?"

"Philip… Mr Blake… is taking me somewhere," she bit her lip and stared into space for a moment, "I've forgotten the name of it… but its seafood and I love seafood."

Mr Blake never took him for lunch. Daryl felt a pang of jealousy but it was short lived since he knew his boss was a married man. _Seafood_ , he wondered if Kate would like to go fishing with him before he recalled the deer and decided probably not.

"You owe the man his prize," Lou announced with a smile as he strolled out from behind a display case.

Kate tucked her hair behind her ear, "I suppose a bet is a bet."

Daryl hadn't even been thinking about the bet and it might have been old fashioned but a part of him didn't want her buying his dinner, it seemed uncouth. "Ya don't have to pay."

"Of course she does," Lou exclaimed before jabbing his cane on the floor. "She's good for it. We shall go tomorrow."

 _Tuesday Afternoon_

"You ready Lou?" Kate asked as she popped her head around the office door to see Lou sitting in the leather chair eating a baguette and flicking through a book.

"What's that Lass?"

"We're supposed to be going for Lunch," Kate let the door fall open and stared at his half eaten baguette with distaste.

"Oh aye, I forgot about that. No matter," he took a big bite of his baguette and went back to reading his book.

Kate grabbed her handbag and thought about telling Daryl that they could just go another day. In the past she had hated flaky people that broke arrangements. Maybe it was time for her to stop trying to avoid people and saying 'no' all the time. There was nothing wrong with a friendly lunch and besides which she was starving. There were worst things than Daryl Dixon to look at while she ate her lunch.

/

Daryl waited for Kate and Lou in the carpark while he had a smoke. He heard the staff door opening and turned to see Hailee who pulled a cigarette from her purse and held it between her teeth as she edged closer to him.

He sighed and searched his pocket for his lighter before he lit the end.

"You know my boyfriend didn't like you dropping me off on Friday night. He gets real jealous."

"Maybe he shoulda picked ya up then."

"Maybe I should find a new boyfriend," Hailee blew her smoke into an O shape and twirled her finger around her hair. "Kinda boyfriend who drops me off and makes sure I'm okay."

Daryl swallowed down hard. Hailee hadn't spoken to him at all yesterday. After rejecting her advances on Friday night he had assumed she might never talk to him again. Now she was talking to him he was wishing she was still giving him the silent treatment. He started to wonder if he was doing the right thing in chasing after Kate who was really just a ridiculous fantasy, maybe the reality was Hailee. She would still be here in five weeks and he might have been no expert when it came to women but he was certain that the blonde would say yes to whatever he suggested.

The staff door slammed open once more and Kate stepped outside to remind him why he was chasing her. Her floaty dress caught on the light gush of wind from the slamming of the door and the sunlight shone of her glossy hair.

"Lou isn't coming," Kate announced before casting a sidelong glance to Hailee then back to Daryl. Then without another word she strolled across the carpark and got into her Mustang. Daryl laughed as he slipped his keys back into his pocket. She was driving, she was paying, she was the boss, he had no doubt about that.

"I'll see ya later," he said to Hailee before flicking his cigarette to the ground. Where was the fun in a girl that would be a needy little pushover? Daryl wanted a woman that could knock him off his feet.

He ran his fingers along the fiery red paint of the Mustang before he climbed inside. Ever since he had seen it out on the parking lot he had wanted a ride in this car. He sat in the soft black leather passenger seat and Kate pressed the ignition bringing everything to life. A million lights illuminated across the dash board and the engine hummed. He pressed the button for the cooling seat and clipped his belt in. He'd never in his life been in such a fancy car and he wondered if she would let him take it for a spin.

"I thought we might do a spot of hunting down at Chick-fil-A," Kate said.

Daryl laughed. He'd expected her to take him to a place where he couldn't pronounce the name of anything from the menu. He was definitely more comfortable with Chick-fil-A.

"It's like KFC right?"

"What?" Daryl shook his head in mock disgust. "That there's a dirty word 'round these parts."

"Oh really?"

"I don't know how ya'll do it down in England but 'round 'ere its Coke an' Chick-fil-A. Ya livin' 'ere so that makes ya an honorary Georgia girl."

"None of that Kentucky fried shit," Kate said in a thick southern accent and Daryl almost choked on thin air at the sound of her swearing and the way she was saying it.

When they got to Chick-fil-A he ordered his usual chicken sandwich and a coke and Kate ordered the same. Then they sat in the window with their meals and Daryl began to watch her, just like he did on the security monitors, before he realised he was beginning to stare. Unlike in the museum, she looked slightly out of place in these surroundings. It was strange to him that she had never been to a Chick-fil-A but then he had never been anywhere. It occurred to him that Kate had lived in more places in America than he had even visited. The idea of travelling had never really appealed to him until recently. Meeting Kate and Lou was just a tiny taste of what it would be like to go to new places. "How do ya like livin' in Georgia?"

"It's nice… the humidity means I have to wear my hair wavy most of the time and I got eaten alive by bugs on my run this morning but it's beautiful… everyone is friendly."

"Ya get used to the bugs," he laughed before taking a bite of his burger.

Kate rubbed at the little red bite mark at the top of her arm and shook her head in disagreement before asking if he'd "always lived here?"

"Yeah, never even been outta Georgia."

"Never?" her big brown eyes went even wider.

"Maybe one day… I'll go to Yorkshire," Lou had said he should visit. Although Daryl wasn't so sure that he had meant it. He still couldn't quite believe how nice the old man was to him. The people who were his friends were the people he had known his whole life.

"You can't go somewhere so rainy for your first holiday…."

"I don't mind a little rain. Plenty of sunshine right 'ere."

Kate looked out of the window then back at him, "I suppose you're right." Her eyes fell to her watch, "we should get back."

/

On the drive back to the museum Kate stopped at a red light. There was a huge sign for a drive in movie theatre and she stared at it while thinking about Grease. If she didn't have Daryl in the car she might have burst into song.

"Ya ever been to one?" Daryl asked as if he was reading her thoughts.

"Never."

"I could take ya if ya want…"

Kate laughed nervously and her heart went in her throat. Was he inviting her on a date? She cast a quick glance his way before noticing the light changing to green. "I forgot… is it the next left or the one after?" she asked to move the conversation along, even though she knew exactly which way to go.

"The next."

Kate shifted uncomfortably in her seat and her hands tightened around the steering wheel. "Did you know… that…" she had to say something and act normal. "Georgia was named for King George II of England?"

"Yeah-"

"Well…." her heart was racing. She couldn't face his offer. There was no possible way that she could go on a date with him or anyone. "Did you know… he was the last British Monarch to be born outside of the United Kingdom?"

"No-"

"Right…" Kate decided the best course of action was to recount every single thing she could think of about George II. Whether the information was true or an embellishment was of no consequence so long as she kept going until they were in the museum and she was saying, "I must go find Lou."

 _Wednesday Afternoon_

"Excuse me…"

Kate felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see a redheaded woman with a big smile.

"Do you work here hun?"

"Yes, how can I help you?"

"Actually I'm looking for Daryl…" she held up a paper bag with what smelt like a meatball sandwich. "I brought him lunch."

"Okay…" Kate stretched out the word while she stared at the woman. _Was this his girlfriend? Sister? Friend? She was pretty. He didn't mention a girlfriend._

"Charlene, what ya doin' 'ere?" the sound of Daryl's gravelly voice filled the gap where Kate was supposed to be saying something to the redhead.

Kate watched Charlene embrace Daryl, "I was in town looking at wedding dresses, thought I might as well stop by for lunch… it's so nice out, we could sit on the grass."

Daryl checked his watch before saying, "sure, just give me a minute okay?"

"You're getting married?" Kate confirmed.

"Yeah… it only took five years of hinting…" Char held her hand out to show off the ring.

"Congratulations, please… excuse me," Kate walked to her office and shut the door before leaning her back on it.

Daryl was getting married. It shouldn't have bothered her but it did. _Fucking hell,_ she was annoyed at herself. Why did it bother her? She began to over analyse before deciding that she was more annoyed at herself for thinking that she was being asked on a date when it had all been in her head.

 _I'm an an out of touch lunatic_ , Kate decided. She didn't even want to go on a date anyway. She was being absurd.

She smoothed down the front of her dress out and tucked her hair behind her ears. She wasn't jealous. This was a good thing. Now she didn't have to avoid him. If he invited her to do something, it would be as friends and there would be no awkwardness. Just like she wanted if she thought about it.

 _Thursday Morning_

Daryl brought a big box of fresh donuts into the breakroom and opened the lid to offer one to Kate who luckily for him was the only person in there.

"You're being so nice to Lou, he might want to keep you," she smiled as she perused her options before picking a jam filled one and shaking off the excess sugar.

He set the box on the table and took a seat on the edge with his chocolate donut. He preferred the idea of Kate keeping him. He wondered what he'd have to do to make her think that for herself.

Kate bit into the donut and a huge dollop of jam dropped down unceremoniously the front of her crisp white shirt, "bugger!" she exclaimed before her eyes caught his and her cheeks flushed bright red.

She ran to the sink and grabbed a handful of paper towels before running them under the faucet and frantically wiping down her front.

"I have a school group coming in ten minutes, bloody hell…" she turned to face him and her haphazard efforts had made the stain even worse. The sticky red splodge was now smeared and surrounded by a huge watermark that left the fabric almost see through. See through enough for him to see the pattern of her white lacy bra. He felt a stir in his trousers and tried not to stare at her breasts.

Daryl cleared his throat and remembered Rick telling him on his first day that he should always keep a spare shirt at work which was a good suggestion because on his second day he managed to spill a mug of coffee all over his sleeve.

"I have a spare shirt in my locker…" he said and the relief on Kate's face was immediate. He felt like a superhero. "'Specially for donut emergencies," he winked, revelling in his helpfulness as he stood up to retrieve the shirt. Now he felt less guilty for the situation in his pants.

He knocked on the door of her office and Kate stuck her hand out for the shirt as she said, "thank you Daryl."

He kind of liked it when she called him Mr Dixon.

Daryl waited outside of the office for no other reason than he wanted to see the woman in _his_ shirt. The same one that was his size, had covered his body and had been in his bedroom, his truck, his locker picking up his scent. This was probably the closest he was going to get to Kate's lacy bra and what lay beneath.

She stepped out of the office with his shirt tucked into her black skirt, the sleeves rolled above her elbows and the top buttons undone to where he could enjoy a hint of cleavage. It was oversized but still sexy. Daryl was sure he'd probably find her attractive in anything.

"I should know better than to wear white…" she rolled her eyes with a wry smile before checking her watch. It was show time. Daryl walked her or to put in another way, followed her, to the front of the building where Kate greeted a handsome high school history teacher with a handshake and her pretty smile.

Daryl ran his hand over his face and sank back down the hallway. Spending time with her was its own form of torture. He remembered being eleven and getting a crush on the teenage girl that worked at the convenience store, he couldn't remember her name but he could still remember the time she gave him a stick of her chewing gum and the can of soup that his Daddy had put back in favour of a pouch of tobacco. That was his first and only crush, until now.

 _Friday Afternoon_

Irma had made Daryl promise to invite Kate and Lou over to the farm again and by that she meant this weekend. It was almost time to go home and he'd already missed out on asking Lou who had gone early. He didn't want to mess the invitation up this time. She seemed to have a cunning way of not saying yes or no to any of his requests.

Daryl fixed himself a coffee and watched Kate wash her dinosaur mug before she placed it back in its spot in the cupboard. "Ya ever ride a horse?"

She shut the cabinet door and turned her big brown eyes to him, "no… I'm not sure I really like horses."

"Ya can't say that… I love horses."

Kate bit her lip and leaned against the kitchen counter. Right there and then he decided not to take no for an answer. It was already almost the end of her third week and he was running out of time. His gaze fell from her eyes to her lips then back again. He wanted to know what it was like to kiss those lips. He almost wanted to reach out and run his fingers through her hair and see if it was as soft as if looked. He'd never felt this way about a woman before and he couldn't tell if it was because she was so pretty or something else. Even women he'd slept with and women he'd known for years had never affected him as much as this woman that he hardly knew.

"Well Irma say's I gotta bring ya'll back this weekend… she's gonna make pot pie and her award winning cookies," no one in their right mind could resist those cookies.

/

The idea of horseback riding conjured feelings of mild terror in the pit of Kate's stomach. She'd been bitten by a horse when she was a little girl and from that moment she had decided that she didn't like the giant bullies. But she couldn't deny that she hadn't enjoyed last weekend at Dale and Irma's farm. The promise of someone cooking for her was almost enough to push her over the edge. "Is Charlene busy?" she found it sort of odd that he never mentioned her.

"I think she's lookin' at wedding stuff with 'er Mama, don't think she wants to mess 'round after waitin' for so long. She's already pickin' out colours for the spare room…" Daryl groaned before he said, "baby duck yellow."

"You don't like little ducks?"

"I don't mind ducks… but I do like havin' my own room… anyway… I can pick ya up if ya like, it can be kinda difficult to find the farm," he set his mug on the counter and edged closer to her.

Kate ran her fingers through her hair and took a step back from him and the intense way he was looking at her. She reminded herself that he was just being friendly and she had no real reason to say 'no'. Quite frankly she liked the idea of having plans for the weekend that didn't rely on a 74 year old man so she said "what time do you want to pick me up?"

* * *

 **A/N** \- Thanks for reading. I'd love to hear some feedback to know if you're enjoying this story :)


	7. Duchess

_Saturday Morning_

"Why you looking so spiffed up this morning?" Charlene patted Daryl's back before she pushed some scrambled eggs onto his plate and then Jim's.

"I ain't," he snapped a little too quickly and she caught the defensive tone in his voice with a shrewd smile. "I'm just goin' over to Dale's to see the horses is all." The last thing he was going to do was tell her about Kate.

"In a new shirt? Cologne?" Charlene didn't miss a damn trick.

"You got a date you ain't telling us about?" Jim laughed.

"No," Daryl spat out before shovelling a big forkful of eggs into his mouth.

"Well…" Charlene sat next to him and Daryl knew that look she had on her face. It was the same look she got when she had backed Jim's truck into a post last month. "My friend from work… Cassie. She just moved around here a couple of months ago. She's a real sweetheart. I've been telling her all about you and she said yes to setting ya'll up on a date. Now you ain't gonna let me down are you hun?"

"Jesus, Char. Why ya gotta do that for?" Daryl folded his arms across his chest.

"I'm just looking out for you. Ain't gonna kill you to go for dinner with her. She's a nice girl, she goes to church and she has the cutest little dog."

Daryl scrunched up his face, "what the hell did ya tell 'er 'bout me?" He was pretty sure that the last people he would attract were sweet church going girls with little dogs.

"Don't matter, this ain't up for debating. You're gonna need a plus one at our wedding."

"You better do as she says," Jim said like he always did since he was so damn pussy whipped.

"Fuckin' hell," he finished his eggs and stood up. Maybe he should go back to living with Merle. He didn't want to have to go on blind dates. The mere thought of it made him want to stab himself in the eyeball.

He let the screen door slam shut as he headed into the back garden for a smoke. He was already regretting inviting Kate out today and all that talk of dates had only made him feel worse. He was nervous to see her but more than anything he was starting to feel like he was playing with fire. She was going to leave. It was only a matter of time. He wondered if spending more time with her would make him more or less obsessed. He might find out that she annoys the shit out of him, although he doubted that. It was like when you have a cut or a bump and you knew you shouldn't touch it but you had to just to see if it still hurt and how much. He knew he shouldn't let himself get involved with Kate but he wanted to see what it would feel like even if it was only temporary.

Jim stepped outside and Daryl passed him a cigarette before he confessed, "there's this girl at work."

"Why didn't you say nothin'?"

"You know how Char gets. And it ain't like that," Daryl let out a heavy grunt and kicked his foot against the porch rail. "Even if I got Kate, I couldn't keep 'er. In a little over a month she'll be livin' four thousand, two hundred and eighteen miles away." He'd googled it then stared at the number until it was seared into his brain.

"You're seeing her today?"

"I feel like I probably shouldn't. Shit, I already have the biggest fuckin' high school crush on this chick. I swear…" Daryl took a drag and laughed bitterly. "It's embarrassin'."

"Maybe she'll stay."

"There ain't no way that someone like her would stay in this shit hole for someone like me… whats she gonna do, move into the single room?"

"Why you seein' her then?" Jim took a seat on his chair and raised his eyebrows.

"If you'd seen 'er you'd understand…" Daryl stubbed out his cigarette and headed to his truck. What was the worst that could happen? It wasn't like he was going to fall in love with her. He wasn't sure if he even knew how to love someone.

/

The doorbell rang and announced Daryl's arrival. She looked at the clock and he was precisely on time. She was impressed. Kate finished the last of her tea then grabbed her handbag and Daryl's shirt which she had dropped off at the dry cleaners last night and picked up on her run this morning.

Daryl was standing so close to the front door when she dashed outside that she almost collided with him.

"G'mornin'," he raised his eyebrows and took a step back to give her room to shut and lock the front door.

"Morning," she said as she turned around and he just stood there, looking at her, like he was going to say something or do something but couldn't quite decide.

Kate looked at the freshly pressed shirt that was in its plastic cover and clutched in her hand between them. "I had it cleaned."

He took the hanger from her and she edged past him. "Shall we get going then?" This was nice. Now she knew he was getting married she could relax. It was like spending time with Lou except they wouldn't have to stop every 20 minutes for a sit down or a toilet break.

Daryl jumped in front of Kate to open the door of his truck for her and then shut it when she climbed inside. She recalled him giving Hailee a ride home last week and wondered once more if his fiancé was okay with him spending the day with her. Then it occurred that his fiancé might not even know. What if he was some sort of cheating player? She felt weird.

"Does Charlene know you're taking me out today?"

"Err… I'm sure Jim will tell 'er."

"Jim?"

"He's my oldest friend. They tell each other everythin'," Daryl started the engine and the radio started blasting out a country song that Kate didn't recognise. There was nothing weird, it was all in her head. Not everyone was like her husband had been. Ryan used to get insanely jealous if Kate went for an after work drink with a male colleague let alone spending the entire day with one.

/

The drive to the farm was nice. Daryl had enjoyed watching Kate watch the Georgia countryside rolling outside of her passenger window. He'd been more than a little bit worried about spending so much time with just the two of them but talking to her was easier than he had anticipated, natural even, and the radio had filled in the gaps.

Irma was out in the garden pegging out washing when they pulled up. She dropped what she was doing to hurry over and squeeze Kate into a big embrace. "It's so nice to see you again… come inside…" The middle aged lady ushered the brunette along and Daryl followed obediently.

"Thank you for inviting me," Kate smiled sweetly and Irma pulled out a chair for her to sit on.

"If it ain't too much trouble for you Daryl, Dale could use a helping hand up on the roof," Irma pointed to the ceiling before she placed a big bag of lemons on the table in front of Kate. "I thought we could make a little fresh lemonade."

Kate picked up a lemon and held it to her nose to smell it and Irma started shepherding him out of the door. He took the hint. He was more than happy to help Dale. He'd helped the man fix almost every square inch of their house and the outbuildings over the years. He suspected that this was more about Irma having some alone time with Kate than anything else. Since the Horvath's never had children they had become like a surrogate Mama and Daddy to Daryl and probably half of the town. They had a handful of nieces and nephews that used to visit and be doted on but they were all grown up now with lives of their own. Irma loved to make a fuss over people, especially girls. She'd once said that she'd "always wanted a little girl of her own."

/

Irma passed Kate a knife so she could chop the lemons in half for juicing. She felt like she'd been transported back in time and was suddenly 13, sitting in her Nana's kitchen. She remembered that warm comforting feeling of being loved and taken care of. It had always felt like that at Nana's house which was why she had spent most evenings and weekends there until she was 15 and her Nana passed away. Irma emitted that same warmth. The house had that same feeling. The kitchen counter was cluttered with flour, rolling pins and a million other ingredients for baking and the mouth-watering smell of freshly baked bread hung in the air. Like Irma, her Nana had loved to bake and cook, Kate always regretted that she never let her teach her like she had wanted to.

Mrs Horvath stumbled and Kate jumped up to catch her, "are you okay?"

Irma nodded meekly and Kate helped her into a chair. "It's my medication, makes me a bit woozy."

Kate crouched in front of the woman with the kind eyes that had a spider web of crinkles at the corner from a lifetime of smiling. "Do you want me to get you anything?"

Irma rubbed Kate's shoulder, "No… I'm glad you're here, sometimes I worry about Daryl…" she looked past Kate and out of the window and before she could ask 'why?' Irma announced, "we should finish the lemonade."

/

Dale left Daryl to finish the last of the roof tiles which was a blessing since the man had no idea what he was doing. Sometimes he wondered what had made the Horvath's buy this farm. Maybe it was simply because his Daddy had sold it cheap but they had little clue how to run and maintain the place. They'd kept it floating but the stables that used to be filled with horses was now down to four and the fields that had once had crops as far as the eye could see now only had a small vegetable garden and a crop of pumpkins that Irma sold to the locals every Halloween.

The sun beat down on the back of his head and Daryl hammered the last nail into the last tile before he wiped the back of his hand against his brow. He was hot and thirsty. He peered over the roof to the floor and wondered where the ladies were with that lemonade. He might have thought that Miss Uppity wouldn't have come running to serve him up a drink even if he was working his ass off in the heat. He climbed down the ladders and worried that he'd messed up his shirt before laughing at his own thoughts. He'd never worried about a dirty shirt in his life.

When he walked around the side of the house he peered in through the kitchen window to see the two women. They were laughing and playing a game of cards. He was all forgotten about now he'd brought the pretty little brunette around. He smiled to himself and let the warm feeling that was starting to bubble flood his entire body before he opened the door and joined them. He could hardly blame Irma, he couldn't think of much else when he was with Kate either.

"Oh goodness… we forgot to bring you the lemonade," Irma threw her hands in the air and Daryl shook his head.

"Stay where ya are ladies, lemme get it," he opened the fridge and pulled out the pitcher before grabbing three glasses and setting them down on the table.

"Gin," Irma said.

Kate dropped her cards to the table and narrowed her eyes, "are you hustling me Mrs Horvath?"

Irma looked shocked but Daryl let out a great big laugh, "ya don't wanna play cards with Irma…"

The middle aged lady batted his arm before she stood up, "I made you both a snack to take on your trails."

"Ya ready for your first riding lesson?"

Kate bit her lip and furrowed her brow. She looked like she wanted to say no but didn't know how.

"Finish ya lemonade and we can at least go meet them…" Daryl suggested before an idea occurred to him, "even if you're too scared to ride..."

A wild, defiant look settled on Kate's face just like he had thought it might. It was the same look she had got when Lou had offered Daryl's assistance with the crates, the same look she got when Lou had offered Daryl's assistance with the crossbow. She didn't like to look weak, he recognised it in her because he recognised it in himself.

"I'm not afraid."

"Then ya ain't got nothin' to worry about."

Irma placed a small basket of food on the table and Daryl stood up, "thank ya ma'am."

"Be back in time for supper at 5.30 sharp…" said Irma.

Daryl opened the door for Kate and she hesitated before taking her leave of the safety of the kitchen. He wondered if she was more scared of horses or scared of being told what to do.

The four horses were waiting for them in the stables. Three mares and one stallion. Daryl liked Duchess the best, she was a dark bay colour and was the sweetest of all the girls as long as you petted her and gave her an apple first.

The big boy was called Ace since he was as black as the ace of spades. He was a bit of a mean son of a bitch but Daryl kind of liked that.

The other two horses were called Peaches and Cream, and their coats matched their names. They were nice enough but Duchess was the prize horse, strong and fit with a rich dark coat. She was the one that Dale should have been breeding from, if he ever listened to any of Daryl's advice.

The horses recognised him when he entered the stables and all but Ace walked to the end of their box to greet him. He petted Duchess then looked at Kate, "she's real gentle… she won't bite…"

/

Kate let out a nervous laugh before lifting her hand tentatively. She was sure that was what they said about all things before they bit. What if horses just inexplicably hated her? She thought about that scene in The Omen when all the animals freaked out at the kid. But Daryl was watching her and she would never admit she was afraid. Besides, it wasn't like she was facing her biggest fear right now or anything as melodramatic as that. She'd already been forced to face her biggest fear a little over 18 months ago and nothing could ever be as bad as what had happened that day.

Kate's hand inched closer to the horse, slow and purposeful until she brushed against the soft fur on Duchess's long nose. The horse just stood there, still, silent and accepting. This was okay. There was no horse hatred. She could do this.

"Good girl," Daryl said and she didn't know if he was talking to her or the horse. She hoped for his sake it was the horse as she turned to look at him and he gave her a devilish smile which she rolled her eyes at.

Daryl pulled an apple out of the bag that Dale had given him and reached for Kate's hand before she had a chance to move it away. He stretched out her fingers and ran the palm of his hand along hers to make sure it was flat before he sat the apple in her hand.

Kate looked at the apple then at the horse's mouth. Duchess' face was gigantic compared to her hand. _No way_. She wasn't going to put her hand to that beast's giant mouth. She shook her head and tried to pass it back to him. But his fingers wrapped around her wrist, strong and all encompassing. "Trust me," he whispered as his gaze held hers and she found that she did trust him.

Daryl's fingers fell from her wrist and his hand cupped hers as he guided the apple under Duchess's mouth. He held her hand in position and steady as her heart stopped beating in the moments that it took for the horse to eat its treat with its wet, clumsy tongue.

"She'll be ya best friend now… won't ya Duchy?" Daryl cooed as best he could in his deep smoky voice and Kate's hand fell from his.

/

Daryl had done enough acquainting Kate with the horses. He wanted to get outside in the sunshine and ride along the trail he had carefully planned out.

He saddled up Duchess and Ace while Kate sat perched on the fence of an empty stall watching him. He could feel her eyes on every move he made and he liked it. He knew what he was doing so he didn't feel judged, he felt like he might be impressing her.

"Ya ready?" he nodded to the stable door and led the horses outside.

Kate stood by Duchess and stroked her mane. It occurred to him that he was going to have to help her onto the horse and for that he was going to have to place his hands on her body. Daryl couldn't take his eyes off her as he tied Ace's reins to a fence post to stop him wandering off. She was wearing tight black jeans that moulded all the way up to her waist where her floaty red camisole was tucked in.

"I'm gonna help ya on." Daryl swallowed down hard and tried not to enjoy it too much as his hands wrapped around her waist then slipped to her hips so he could help her up onto the horse. Kate was short and Duchess was tall. His hands ended up cupping the perfect ass that he had looked at a thousand times and like a pervert he did enjoy touching it. _Jesus Christ_ , her ass was so firm, round, and perfect just like he had imagined it would be. He wondered what it would feel like without her jeans in the way of his hands and found himself starting to feel flustered.

Kate was on the horse and he cleared his throat trying to ignore the dirty thoughts that were encouraging the blood to rush to his pants. He passed her the reigns and she held them tight in her hands. Her gaze caught his and her big brown eyes were wide and uncertain making her look vulnerable. It was a good look for Miss Uppity. He liked her looking a little bit helpless, probably more than he should have done. For once he felt like the boss.

Daryl jumped on the horse like a pro and pulled Duchess along until they were trotting side by side at a relaxing pace. "Ain't so bad is it?"

"I'll tell you when we get back," she laughed nervously.

"I'll make a horsewoman outta ya yet…"

"I don't think you have enough time for that."

Daryl felt a stab of pain in his chest. When he was with her like this it was easy to forget that this wouldn't be forever or that it hadn't been forever. He wondered if this was what Jim felt when he was with Charlene. Like it wasn't forced, like it just fit, made sense even when it seemed like it shouldn't. Daryl would have been the last person to believe he could have such easy conversation with Kate but the more time he spent with her the easier it was. It was so easy that he found himself telling her all about how this farm had belonged to his family until his Daddy had sold it to Dale. He hadn't mentioned the drunken part, or the gambling debts, but he'd liked telling her the rest. He was proud that Dixon's had built this place. It was the one thing that always reminded him that he didn't have to be like his Daddy.

/

"Ya wanna go see somethin' cool?" Daryl asked with an almost boyish smile that made Kate smile too.

"What is it?"

"A surprise," he pulled at Duchess' bridal and began to lead them in another direction, up a small slope where they came to a stream. "We'll have to leave the horses here, it's a short hike the rest of the way."

Daryl helped Kate down and she was pleased to get off the horses back. Riding was uncomfortable. Maybe, if there was ever a next time, she wouldn't wear such tight jeans. He watered the horses before tying them to a tree and she wondered if this was the same stream from their hunting trip. She submerged her hands in the water to rinse them off and caught Daryl's eye, "fancy taking another dip?"

The corner of his mouth twitched, "you go ahead, I'll watch..."

She shook the water off her hands and laughed. There was no way she would be jumping into that stream. A big carving on a tree caught her eye and she walked to see what it said. It was a heart with 'N D + L D' in the centre. She reached out to touch it and felt Daryl hovering behind her.

"My Grandpa an' Grandma," he rasped, low and quiet with his mouth only inches from her ear like he was telling her a secret.

 _How romantic_. She traced the outline of the heart with the tip of her finger then turned to face him. She wondered if, despite appearance, this kind of saccharine sweet romance ran in the Dixon family. "Is there a tree out here with yours and Charlene's initials?"

"Huh?"

Kate looked over her shoulder at the carved heart, both last initials were D. "You'll only do it when you're married?"

"What?" Daryl scratched his chin and they gave each other a questioning look before is eyes grew wide. "You think…" he half laughed. "I ain't marryin' Charlene… she's gettin' hitched to Jim."

Now it was her turn to be confused. Kate felt the heat rise to her cheeks as her mind raced. He wasn't getting married? He was just… "No girlfriend?" she blurted.

Daryl leaned his hand on the tree trunk besides Kate's head, trapping her between him and the tree. "Not that I know 'bout…"

She thought about gift shop girl taking a ride in his truck, "Hailee…"

"Jesus… definitely not."

A strange silence filled the space between them and everything felt different. What had been friendly banter and him putting his hands on her body to help her on and off the horse seemed like something else. Daryl seemed to edge even closer and Kate held her breath. She would never in a million years have said yes to coming here today with him if she knew he was single.

/

 _Shit_ , Kate had spent this entire day thinking he was getting married or with Hailee. The idea pissed him off until he realised, "ya think about that?"

She let out a little puff of breath and sank down the tree to duck under his arm, "what did you want to show me?"

She was avoiding his questions and something told him it was because the answer was 'yes'. She thought about him. Daryl didn't exactly know what to do with that information. But there was no avoiding him when they were in the middle of the woods. "This way," he inclined his head and gestured his hand. Kate tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and got that vulnerable look on her face again. Like he was the hunter and she was the prey.

* * *

A/N- Thanks for reading :) Let me know if you're enjoying it and want more...


	8. Merry Men

They left the horses behind to go and find Daryl's 'something cool'. Kate didn't know what it might be, she only hoped that the hike wouldn't be too strenuous. For all she knew his version of a hike might include climbing a cliff face. He didn't hesitate as he led her through the trees. Just like hadn't the other day when they had been hunting. To her it all looked the same but he seemed to know exactly which way to go. He belonged in these woods like some sort of wild, feral huntsman. She was already disorientated.

Kate tried to hold back as she followed him. She wanted to put some distance between them and the awkward moment next to the carved heart. They could still be friends. She was probably overthinking the situation.

Daryl began to disappear down a dip in the terrain. She was too far back. Kate imagined losing him and being stranded out here alone before she jogged to catch up to him. She found him waiting with one arm outstretched to help her down the steep slope. She didn't take it. She grabbed a tree and managed to get herself down with a small stumble and a big jump.

Kate could hear a small gruff laugh that fell from Daryl's lips followed by the clicking off his Zippo. She turned to see him surrounded by a puff of smoke as the cigarette dangled carelessly from his mouth like he was some sort of bad boy from a 1950's movie. She hated smoking. But more than that Kate hated that she liked the way Daryl looked when he was doing it.

He pointed in the direction she was supposed to head and let her lead the way. She wondered if he was letting her lead so she wouldn't have to breath in his fumes and looked over her shoulder to him.

What on earth was she doing in the middle of this forest with this wild man? If she was sensible then she should have been having lunch in the botanical gardens with Mr Cliff, the attractive high school teacher from last Thursday who had invited her for a cultural tour of Atlanta.

Kate brushed away the dirt that was speckling her jeans and scoffed lightly. She didn't want to be on a "cultural tour". The second the words had left Mr Cliff's mouth she'd wanted to run a thousand miles in the opposite direction. He'd sounded exactly like Ryan.

Daryl jumped ahead, "we're almost there…"

/

"Welcome to Fort Dixon."

"Oh my god…" Kate let out a gasp and Daryl watched the way her eyes lit up just like he'd hoped they would. He might not have had much when he was growing up, but he had this. His grandpa had built the treehouse for Merle when he was a boy and when Daryl had come along his grandpa had added to it and improved it. It wasn't pretty, it was made of a mishmash of all sorts of materials that had been added over the years, but it was the location of his happiest childhood memories. Probably Merles happiest memories too.

He'd maintained it for Dale's nieces and nephews. When they had grown up he had maintained it for himself. He couldn't bare the idea of it crumbling and being reclaimed by the forest plus it didn't take much to keep it standing.

"I would have adored this when I was little," she approached the tree and walked around the outside of it, running her hand along the trunk.

"Not many people know the secret location of Fort Dixon… ya gotta swear not to tell."

Kate laughed and peaked her head around the tree to look at him.

It had been a long time since he had brought someone new to Fort Dixon. He remembered the playful feelings of being young and cocked his head to the side before he pointed at her, "swear it…"

A slow smile spread across her lips before she stepped out from behind the tree, placed her hand over her heart, "I solemnly swear never to reveal the top secret location of Fort Dixon on pain of death."

"Maybe if they're threatenin' to kill ya then ya can say…" he laughed and Kate did too. Most everything about Kate was sexy except her laugh. Her laugh was cute, she laughed with her whole body in the most ridiculously girlish giggle that made his stomach feel like mush.

"So…" Kate looked up at the fort "how do we get up?"

"Ya wanna go up?" He wasn't so sure she would be that interested.

"Of course…" she crept closer to him and looked side to side before whispering, "the sheriff's men will find us."

A chill ran up his spine, she said it with such certainty. Then he snorted. He couldn't remember the last time he'd actually played in the fort. "The sheriff's men?"

Kate's cheeks started the flush with the slightest hint of pink and she looked away from him, "you have your bow… a tree fort… just like Robin Hood…" she let out a small laugh and bit her lip.

Daryl couldn't help but stare at her. _Jesus_ , she was so pretty and she was playing. If he thought about it, this could get pretty sexy. He could tell that his silent gaping was making her uncomfortable. But there was something about the pink of her cheeks and the way she wasn't looking at him that made the bee's in his stomach go wild.

There was only one girl in Robin Hood that Daryl could think of. "If I'm Robin hood…" He swallowed hard and stepped closer to her, he could sweep her off her feet just like in the movies. _Shit_ , maybe she wanted him to, it was her idea to play this little roleplaying game. An uncontrollable smirk plastered on his face, "does that make you Maid Marion…" He could play this game with her all day. They could enact the scene's they didn't show in the movies.

Kate's blush went even redder before she said, "I'll be… Catwoman."

No damsel in distress then. No sweeping off her feet. "There ain't no catwoman in Robin Hood…"

"Did all your games have to be historically accurate?" she stepped away from him. "Maybe Catwoman has a time machine?"

Daryl snorted. _Time machine_ , his ass. Was she flirting with him or not? He couldn't keep up this crazy woman.

Kate looked up at the tree once more.

"Ya have to climb it… there ain't no ladders to Fort Dixon." Ladders were for pussies.

"Climb the tree?" Catwoman looked undecided. This city girl had probably never climbed a tree in her life.

"I thought cats only had trouble climbing down…" he smirked, feeling pretty pleased with himself.

Kate gave him a typical Miss Uppity pissed off look as he closed the space between them. "Here," Daryl pointed to the place where the first foot hold was and held out his hands to help her. To her credit she went for it and before he knew it his hands were on her again. He hadn't even planned it this way but he sure as shit wasn't complaining. He told her where to put her feet and she did as she was told until she was in the treehouse. He appreciated the view as he was climbing up after her.

Kate sat cross-legged at one end and he sat at the other. He didn't remember it being so small in here. Together they took up almost all of the room. He placed his hands on his knees and hardly knew what to do with himself. Well, he had some idea of what he wanted to do.

They stared at each other before she leaned onto her knees and for a split second he actually thought she was going to kiss him. Instead, she looked out of the window and he shook his head at himself. Her neck was at eye height and his eyes inspected every inch of the side of her face while the smell of that damn perfume she wore filled up all the breathing room. When she turned she had a playful smile as she pressed her index finger to her lip. "Ssh..." she leaned forward and he felt his breath all but stop as she whispered, "they're here."

Daryl let out his breath and got that childish feeling again, "they are?" he reached his hands above his head to locate the familiar hidden shelf in the rafters where he wrapped his fingers around what was always stashed there. He pulled down the slingshot and one little rock and Kate laughed.

"I can protect ya ma'am."

He nudged forward until his knee was pressed against her leg and he glanced out of the window then back at her. He only had one rock. "Ya wanna try?" he held out the little handmade slingshot. His Grandpa had shown him how to make one when he was little and he had made about a hundred of them since.

Kate took the little weapon from his hand and her fingers brushed against his. He wondered what it would have been like if he had known her when he was a teenager. What he would have given to have a girl like her in this treehouse with him. She was easily the prettiest person that had ever stepped foot in the place. He swallowed hard and rubbed his thumb over the rock before he passed it to her.

Kate's big brown eyes fell from his to the little rock and she loaded it in the slingshot.

"Ya think ya can hit the tree?" he pointed to the big one that was slightly left of the window and Kate leaned even closer to him to take aim. The top of her head dipped just below his chin and his heart started to thud hard. She fired the rock and it hit the tree with a woody ping followed by a laugh of pure delight as she raised her head bringing his face within inches of hers. Her breath smelled sweetly of the lemonade that Irma had given them for their ride.

Daryl's finger tips prickled with longing. He wanted to touch her. He wanted to have her. His hand began to float from its position on his lap until he was touching her soft as silk hair and removing the tiny little stick that he noticed nestled in between the loose waves.

/

This didn't feel very platonic anymore. He was a single man. She was by all accounts a single woman. The feel of Daryl's touch, which was so painfully gentle as his fingers teased through her hair, sent tingles along her body to the places that hadn't tingled for another person's touch for a long time.

She looked at the little stick which he twirled between his thick, rough fingers before flicking it out of the window. Kate cleared her throat and her eyes darted to anywhere that wasn't him as she let herself fall backwards with a painful thud, "what time did Irma say she wanted us to return?"

Daryl's brow furrowed before he finally looked at his watch, "20 minutes ago."

"I hate to be late…" it was the truth but more than that there was something about this treehouse that made her feel like she might do something that she might regret later.

Daryl climbed from the treehouse and Kate had no choice but to allow him to help her down. Then she had no choice but to allow him to help her back on the horse. She tried to ignore how she felt when his hands were wrapping around her body and lifting her with ease. But as they rode the horses back to the stables she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have sex with Daryl Dixon.

Would his mouth taste like smoke, or something else? Would he be rough or gentle? She hadn't been touched in a long time and this was the first time that the notion had bothered her. The first time she'd felt the desperate longing to be filled, caressed, kissed, to fall into oblivion at the hands of another person.

"Did you have fun?" Irma grinned. They were shamefully an hour late for dinner but the middle aged woman didn't complain.

/

Dinner was as tasty as it always was at Irma's table and Kate seemed to be enjoying herself. He was wondering if he should invite her to do something tomorrow. They only had limited time and he would happily spend every minute of the entire weekend with her.

"Can I speak with you Daryl?" Dale whispered as Irma offered to show Kate the quilt she was making for her great niece who was due to be born next month.

He followed the man to the porch where they took a seat on one of the many chairs outside and Daryl lit a cigarette. He didn't know what Dale wanted to say but the longer the man sat silently looking at his hands the more Daryl became worried. He finished his cigarette and waited five minutes before he said, "what is it?"

Dale looked at him and his eyes were wide and fearful. "It's never seemed like the right time to talk about this…"

"What?"

"Irma's sick…"

Daryl couldn't find the words to say anything.

"They think she has a year."

 _A year?_ He looked into the house. _How could that be?_ She wasn't so old.

"We're selling the farm… I wanna take her travelling like we'd always planned…"

"Ya can't do that!" Daryl felt like his life was starting to crumble. Losing Irma, Dale and his Grandpa's farm. His stomach turned over, he felt sick, then his adrenaline started to pump. He wanted to hit something. So he did. He slammed his fist into the siding of the house and the pain jolted down his arm making him even angrier.

"I want the last of our time together to be fun… doing the things we'd always said we'd do but never did…" Dale held his shoulder. "You've found someone, you're happier, we both saw it when you brought her the other day and we see it today… reminds me of when I first met Irma."

Dale was trying to be nice but it only infuriated him more. Now he was being reminded that he couldn't have Kate either. "Ya don't know anythin' old man… she's fuckin' leavin'… she don't want me like that!"

Dale let out a heavy sigh "I thought…"

Daryl didn't care what he thought, he jumped over the railing and landed heavily on the grass. He couldn't stay here anymore. He was finished. After everything, they were just going to leave and he was going to have even less than he already did.

/

Kate took a seat on the settee and Irma handed her the baby blanket that she had been working on. It was all the colours of the rainbow and beautiful. She ran her fingers over the delicate stiches and admired all the little animals that had been lovingly stitched on to each square.

"I've been making blankets like this for all the babies of our family for thirty years," Irma pulled some glasses from the side table and set them on the end of her nose then grabbed her basket of fabric to show Kate the next square she was working on. It was a light green paisley background and she was stitching on an orange fox. "Do you want to get married, have little ones?"

The direct question made Kate's chest tighten. Did she? Could she imagine another brown eyed baby with a head full of fly away hair? "No."

Irma looked surprised. "Its early days I suppose," she winked before her eyes fell to her stitching.

 _Early days?_ Kate looked towards the outside of the house where Daryl was standing with Dale. Surely the woman couldn't be referring to him, they were hardly on their way to anything.

The muffled shouts of an argument permeated the peace of the living room and Kate looked out of the window just in time to see Daryl climbing into his truck and driving away.

She looked over her shoulder to Irma who put down her sewing and said, "Dale gave him some bad news. I'm sure he'll come on back…" Irma forced a smile and stood up, "I'll make us tea…" then she left Kate in the lounge while she went to have a hushed conversation with Dale in the kitchen.

It wasn't Kate's place to pry, no matter how much she wanted to. She looked at the time on the clock, it was 19:17. She'd thought that Daryl would be taking her home by now.

By the time she had finished her third glass of ice tea and listened to Dale and Irma tell her all about the trip they were planning on taking the clock read 20:55.

Dale caught her staring at it and stood up, "I thought he would have come back for you by now… let me take you home."

It was a long drive. She wasn't going to impose on him and she loathed asking people for help. Daryl brought her here, it was his idea, he should take her back. "Where do you think Daryl might have gone?"

A part of her had the sudden sick feeling that he'd crashed his car and was lying in the road somewhere. But the feeling was quickly dismissed when she saw the knowing glance that Dale and Irma shared before they said, "Joe's."

Kate had seen the bar nestled amongst the trees and a dirt track on her drive here with Daryl. It wasn't too far to walk. If he was there when he should have been driving her home, then she was going to be bloody pissed off. She was already bloody pissed off.

Despite Dale and Irma's protests, and perhaps even her better judgement, she grabbed her jacket and started to say goodbye.

"This isn't a good idea. When he gets like this it's probably better to let him stew…" Irma said for the third time.

Kate scoffed, "let him get away with it you mean?" She pulled on her jacket and began to walk quickly down the road to the bar. With every step she felt a prick of irritation. He'd brought her miles from home, to a strange place and now he had abandoned her.

The red sign that simply said 'Joe's', lit up the night and when she got closer she could see Daryl's truck nestled among the others along with several motorcycles.

The actual bar was more like an oversized shed. It was the type of establishment that she would never have dreamt of setting foot inside of on any ordinary day. The word 'Redneck' came to mind and then when she thought about it, Daryl, who didn't look like he belonged in the museum but looked perfectly at home with a cigarette, crossbow and a layer of dirt, was a redneck.

Kate walked across the car park to the door and when her hand wrapped around the long silver handle she hesitated. This probably wasn't the best idea that had ever occurred to her. She thought about Ryan saying, 'must you do this Kate?' but the memory only urged her inside rather than back to the safety of Dale and Irma's where she should have been.

The soft hum of music became louder, the smell of stale smoke and beer filled her nostrils. It was a hive of chatter inside Joe's until she stepped into sight. It was like walking into a western movie. Everything but the jukebox seemed to go silent. All eyes were on her. She was a stranger in this bar which seemed like the type of place that had the same customers from their first drink to their last.

Kate spotted the back of Daryl's head. He was sitting at a big table with a group of four men. Part of her wanted to walk back out, run back to the farm and call herself a cab. But a bigger part of her refused to walk away and let him get away with behaving like an arsehole. She wondered if anyone ever called Daryl Dixon out on his shit. Dale and Irma sure didn't seem like they did.

Kate ignored the eyes that watched her and the whispers that talked about her as she strolled over to his table, shoulders back, head high. She stood to the left of Daryl and folded her arms across her chest. She could smell the stench of alcohol that was radiating off him like a vile perfume.

"Ya lost girlie?" the jeering voice came from one of the men at Daryl's table.

Kate's eyes settled on an older man with a shaved head and a satisfied smirk plastered across his face. She raised one eyebrow and ignored him. She could only deal with one drunken dickhead at a time.

Daryl finally turned to look her up and down before turning back to his glass of beer and finishing it.

That was it? He was going to ignore her? Everyone was watching her so she couldn't just walk away. She kicked the back of his chair to jolt him. "You're supposed to be taking me home."

Daryl grunted and lit a cigarette.

One of the men at his table stood up and ran his fingers though his long, dark hair before slowly looking Kate up and down with an approving smile and a lick of his lips. "I'll take ya home sugar… Mmm hmm… I'd treat a pretty little thang like you _real_ good."

Kate felt a tinge of pink flush her cheeks and betray all the efforts she was putting in to her cool exterior. This was awful. She jabbed her finger into the redneck security guards shoulder, "I'm in the arse end of nowhere and you're sitting here shit face drunk."

"This where ya disappeared to Darylina? Gettin' yerself all wifed up? Well shit. Didn't think ya had it in ya," the bald headed man slammed his hand on the table and let out a loud laugh.

"She ain't my girl…" Daryl cast a disapproving glance to her, "she's nothin'… just some uppity bitch I have to fuckin' work wi'."

All of his drinking companions started to whoop and laugh. Kate felt like the air had been knocked out of her. The words stung. Who the fuck did he think he was? She clenched her teeth and tried to steady the uneven breathing of rage. In another life she might have backed down but that was before. Back when she gave a shit.

"You think I'm a bitch?" Fine. Kate's hands wrapped around the pitcher of beer in the centre of the table. It was two thirds full and before she even thought that it wasn't a good idea she upended the whole thing over Daryl's head.

"How about that for being a bitch!" she spat out at him before slamming the pitcher down on the table. The laughter from everyone was even louder now and she felt completely ridiculous.

"Ya gonna let 'er get away wi' that? Oughta show that hoity-toity pussy who wears the damn pants…" it was the bald man again and his grin was bigger than ever.

Daryl jumped up, his hair and the top of his shirt were soaked and his cheeks were tinged with the red flare of embarrassment, or maybe it was anger.

Kate took a step back but held her head high "what exactly are you going to do Mr Dixon?" She challenged him and his nostrils flared before he shook his head wildly in an attempt to shed the beer. He staggered closer and she knew that he could probably tear her apart with his big hands but she also knew that he wouldn't. He just stood there, his breathing uneven as his jaw tightened and flexed angrily. The sound of laughter and shouting from all around filled the air and they were at an impasse.

Kate relaxed, "you're not going to do anything…" she scoffed at him, "you can barely put one foot in front of the other…"

"Can too" Daryl slurred before he tried to move forward in an effort to disprove her. Kate stood aside as he fell to the floor. Being right didn't feel so good but it didn't feel so bad either. He was a mess. She flashed a look of distaste to his drinking companions before crouching down and shoving her hand in the pocket of Daryl's jeans to find his car keys.

Kate pulled the keys free, then hesitated. She should have just left. He was an arsehole but she reached her fingers forward and swept the hair from his brow, he was still breathing, he was okay; just well and truly inebriated.

"Ya gonna steal my brothers truck?" So that's who the bald man was. Daryl's brother. Being an arsehole must run in the family.

Kate stood up and clenched the keys in her fist. She wasn't going to baby him, it wasn't her job to take care of Daryl Dixon, "he's a big boy… he'll figure it out."

"Hoooo weee… where'd he find you Sparky?" there was even more laughing but Kate ignored it all. She couldn't get out of Joe's bar and into Daryl's truck any faster if she tried. When she pulled away and the red lights of the bar faded she could finally breathe. Her adrenaline was still racing and she was somewhere in between anger, humiliation and hurt.

Kate drove and drove, until she was certain she had no idea where she was. It was dark, there were no street lights or houses, she was lost. She pulled over in a layby and slumped over the steering wheel to let out the tears that had wanted to burst from her eyes in the bar. She'd been so stupid. To Daryl, she was nothing more than some stupid bitch. He probably had a bet with Shane to see who could fuck her first and she'd almost been foolish enough to fall for his bullshit.

She leaned down and opened his glove box to see if he had a map. A million CD's, a pack of cigarettes and a roll of condoms fell out. Daryl probably did have sex with Hailee. Kate threw his condoms out of the window and wiped the tears from hers eyes. She needed to calm down. She wasn't lost, she had a car, she was on a road, all she had to do was keep going.

* * *

 **A/N** \- Big thank you to everyone who left feedback, I love reading it :)


	9. At home with the Dixon's

_Sunday Morning_

Daryl woke up to the familiar wretched smell of his father's house. It was a smell he hadn't had to endure for many years. He rolled off the dingy sofa which he had been sleeping on and pulled himself to his feet. Last night he'd let himself get out of control. He couldn't remember the last time he had passed out from drinking or the last time he'd felt this rough. He felt like a bear had shit in his mouth and Merle had hit him over the head with a baseball bat.

He also couldn't believe he had spent the night in this house. Merle sometimes slept over but Daryl never did. No matter how drunk he was. He'd rather sleep in his truck, hell he'd rather sleep on the cold, hard floor. But here he was. Merle's friend Harley was sleeping in the grotty old arm chair and another one, Bo, was slumped over the kitchen table.

Daryl stretched his shoulders and rushed to the bathroom to try and wash his face and mouth of the stench that he could feel clinging to him. He turned the faucet of the sink and no matter how far he spun the top nothing came out of the end. He tried the faucet on the bath and it was the same. His old man must have neglected to pay for his water bill again. He groaned and left the bathroom.

He had to get out of this house before anyone woke up. He felt his pocket for his keys as he headed to the door. They were gone. _Shit_.

Daryl walked back to the sofa and pulled apart all the cushions. He didn't find his keys but he did find a handful of beer bottle caps, cigarette ends and an empty pill bottle. He didn't know how his father survived in this shithole. He didn't know how he had survived. He hated being in here, it only held bad memories. It wasn't the house where his Mama had died since that one had burned to the ground but it was the house where it had been just him, his Daddy and his Daddy's belt. Merle was almost always anywhere but at home. Juvie, the army, prison, or just staying with some random pussy that he found.

Daryl poked his head around both of the bedroom doors to look for Merle. He didn't particularly want to speak to his brother but he had no idea where to look for his keys. He found him in his old room, it still had the same peeling wallpaper that had been old and worn when they had moved into the place when Daryl was ten.

"Mornin' baby brother… didn't think I'd see ya this side o'lunch…" a slow grin spread across Merles face. The same grin his brother always got when he was about to cause trouble.

"I'm lookin' for my keys," Daryl said.

His brother sprang out of bed with more vigour than Daryl could ever remember seeing. "Can't find ya keys huh?" Merle scratched his head and pushed past Daryl to take a leak in the kitchen sink while he grabbed a piece of leftover pizza that sat on the counter. "Ya don't remember last night?"

Last night was a blur. He remembered Dale telling him that he was selling the farm and he remembered shots of scotch. A whole lot of scotch. Daryl held his hand over his stomach. He wasn't feeling too hot right now. He wanted a shower and a plate of food.

 _Fuck, Fuck, Fuck._

Daryl remembered Kate. He'd taken her to Dale's house and left her… _shit_. She probably thought he was a huge fucking asshole. He was a huge asshole. He'd wanted to cool off and that was it. One quick drink. But Merle had been there and one drink had quickly turned to one too many and then even more.

"I met ya little girlfriend."

"What?" Daryl demanded to Merles back as his brother headed outside.

Merle lit a cigarette and sat on a half broken lawn chair with a smug expression.

"Just fuckin' get it over with an' tell me…"

"Ya smell that?" Merle sniffed the air towards him. "Ya sure do smell like beer don't ya Darylina?"

Daryl smelled his shirt, his brother was right. Then the memories started to trickle through. Small fragments, seeing Kate's big brown eyes looking at him with disgust, listening to Merle's friends saying how they would have liked a long hard fuck with her and then something in the middle.

 _"_ _She's just some uppity bitch I have to fucking work with."_

Daryl felt his cheeks burning with shame. Kate, who was so far out of his fucking league, who he had managed by some grace of fucking god to get to spend the day with him, had ended up in the most run down shit hole in the whole state of Georgia. Being called a bitch by the person who was supposed to be looking after her, supposed to be treating her like a lady, picking her up and dropping her off safely, like she deserved.

Daryl fucking hated himself. In this moment, in his drunken Daddy's shithole house, he had never felt more like he belonged.

"Did ya hear me…" Merle threw a rock at his head and brought Daryl back to earth. "I said Sparky stole ya truck."

"She did?" _Jesus fucking Christ._

"Fuckin' hell baby brother, you're the biggest damn pussy I ever met. Lettin' littlest princess kick ya damn ass."

Bo joined them on the porch and jumped up on the table with a huge shit eating grin, "I ain't ever been fucked in front of so many people 'fore."

Daryl knew that he was never going to live this down. For as long as he lived he would hear this story.

"Least he ain't no fag," Merle beamed with pride.

"How much did ya pay for 'er?" Bo batted Daryl's arm. "Ya have to pay extra for a chick with a fancy accent?"

"Jesus, she ain't a fuckin' hooker," what the hell was wrong with him?

"I didn't say that…" Bo pointed at him in all seriousness and took out a little packet of white powder out of his jacket before rubbing some into this gums. "She was obviously high class pussy… High class escort."

How the hell had he ever spent so much time of his life associating with these low lives?

"Ya dumb as shit Bo, he said he found 'er at work… where ya working at baby brother? Why ya not returnin' my calls? Huh? Ya think ya hot shit now, hmm?"

"Gimme ya keys," Daryl held his hand out.

"Nah man I got stuff to do later," Merle spit out a long stream of smoker's phlegm and leaned back in the broken chair.

"Come on Merle, lemme borrow ya chopper for a coupla hours."

Merle's eyes softened a little as he pulled his keys from his pants and threw them at Daryl. "Ya can tell Sparky that I got a fat one waitin' for 'er if she's done playin' wi you."

Daryl ignored Merles last comment. In fact, he tried to erase the entire conversation from his brain as he rode his brothers bike to Jims house. There was no way he could see Kate stinking like beer, sweat, and the rest.

Jim was sitting at the breakfast table reading a newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee when Daryl walked in.

"You didn't come home, I take it things went well," his friend grinned and threw down his paper.

"I got drunk, called 'er a bitch an' she stole my truck."

"Damn… sounds like one of Merles dates. You Dixon's definitely have a way with the ladies…"

Daryl couldn't face Jim any longer. He peeled off his clothes and clambered into the shower. All he could think about was what he was going to say to Kate when he saw her. How was she going to react? He pictured the way she had looked at him just before she poured the pitcher of beer on his head. She'd looked more hurt than angry. He'd hurt her. He couldn't find it in himself to be mad that she'd made an ass out of him. He deserved it.

When Daryl arrived at Kate's house he climbed the five steps that led to her front door with trepidation. He wasn't ashamed to admit that he was terrified to see her. He brought his hand up to the bell and his finger hovered over it.

 _Shit_ , he considered going round the corner to the diner he had spotted and having a cup of coffee while he mustered up some courage. This felt a million times worse than being a teenager getting called to the principal's office. Then he thought about Merle calling him a big pussy and pushed the bell. He could hear it ringing and he waited. She didn't answer. He rang it again then began to panic.

It was only 9.00 on a Sunday, what if she was sleeping? What if he pissed her off even more? With that thought he hopped back down the steps and took a seat on Merle's chopper before pulling out his phone. He considered sending her a text message. He never sent anyone text messages.

Daryl was debating what his next move should be when movement on the sleepy street that Kate's house sat on caught the attention of his peripheral vision. He turned his head and there she was running along at a steady pace. Her hair was in a high pony tail dancing side to side with every stride. She was wearing tight cropped pants that had a million colours splattered all over them and an orange sports bra that left her midriff showing. He shoved his phone in his pocket and adjusted his ray bans. This was it.

Kate slowed down as she approached her house and spotted him. She took a long drink from the bottle of water in her hand and stared him down with a look of annoyance. Seeing all of her exposed skin and the film of sweat that rested on it was making him even more agitated. He was yet again thankful that his eyes were shielded by his shades because he was pretty sure that she wouldn't have liked the way they danced around her body, greedily taking in every inch.

Kate pulled her earbuds out of her ears and stepped in front of him. "You'll be wanting your keys I suppose." Her voice was crisp and cold just like it had been when they first met.

"I'm… sorry… for what I said. I was a mess, drunk, stupid… I didn't mean it. I think you're-"

"Wait here," she interrupted before heading into her house and shutting the door behind her. It was probably a good thing she had interrupted because he wasn't exactly sure what he was going to say. What did he think of her? She was pretty, funny, smart but so were a lot of girls. He didn't know exactly what it was about Kate but meeting her was like how he imagined he felt when he had his first taste of chocolate and instantly knew that it would be his favourite thing that he would ever eat in his entire life.

Daryl waited outside of Kate's house for a full forty-five minutes wondering if she was expecting him to do something. He wondered if he should knock. Maybe she had somehow forgotten about him. Or maybe she was making him sweat. He considered leaving and abandoning his truck. But then the door opened and she emerged showered and dressed. She hopped down her front steps with his keys dangling from the end of her index finger. Of course she'd made him wait, he should have known that Miss Uppity wouldn't let him off too easy.

Daryl stepped forward and took his keys from the tip of her finger. "I don't want things to be… weird."

"They won't be," Kate took a step back, her summer dress catching in the breeze and he felt a glimmer of hope before she said, "because there is nothing between us… don't speak to me again."

With that Kate turned and left him standing at the bottom of her stoop with his keys clutched tight in his fist and feeling like he'd taken a punch to the face. A punch to the face probably would have been preferable. He'd ruined everything.

/

Kate let the door slam shut behind her and let out the breath that had caught in her throat. She hated confrontations. Daryl had made her feel like a complete fool. She didn't want to spend another second on him yet she couldn't resist spinning around and pressing her eye to the peephole in the middle of the door to watch him. He was still standing there. Holding his keys tight in his fist and his broad shoulders slightly hunched. She felt a pang of regret but that was quickly snuffed by the memory of him calling her a bitch while she stood in the middle of that god awful bar in front of all his friends.

Daryl turned to walk to his truck and he was out of sight of the peephole. Kate should have just left it. Stopped watching. She didn't even know why she was watching. But she didn't leave it. She ran up the stairs and watched him from her bedroom window.

She watched him opening the flatbed of his truck, pulling off a metal ramp before he turned to the motorcycle that was parked behind the truck. He'd been sitting on the bike when she had spotted him and she had wondered if it was his. It suited him. It was sexy and she hated that she thought that about him after what he had said. He pushed the bike up the ramp onto the back of the truck in a familiar sort of way that made it seem like he had done it many times before. Kate had never been on the back of a motorcycle. The idea of riding one intrigued her. Well, it terrified her but that was what made it exciting.

When he pulled away she let herself fall onto the soft inviting mattress of her bed. That was it. All her plans finished for the morning. Run, eat a piece of fruit, take a shower, get dressed. She stared at the clock and watched it ticking over 10.07, 10.08, 10.09, 10.10. _Now what?_

Kate jumped out of bed. She didn't need Daryl Dixon or any other man to help her have fun or do anything else. She went downstairs and shoved her phone in her handbag before spraying on some perfume and choosing a pair of sunglasses. It was Sunday and she would do something.

Before Kate headed out of the door she opened the fridge and pulled out the jar of pickles that was sitting in there mocking her. Like she had done several times for that last 8 days she tried the lid. It wouldn't budge. She tapped it hard on the side of the counter since that usually, inexplicably, got a troublesome lid to budge but not this fucking jar. This was war and she wasn't going to let a jar of pickles to defeat her.

Kate set the jar on the counter and grabbed the biggest knife that sat in the knife block. She held it in front of her face before pushing its tip against the palm of her hand to test the sharpness although sharpness didn't necessarily matter this was her only plan and she was rolling with it. Kate drove the knife into the lid of the jar. It bounced off and left behind a small dent. She pressed her little finger into in with an exasperated sigh.

 _I'm going fucking crazy._

Kate dropped the knife on the counter and ran to the living room to find the biggest hardback book that she could see. She held it tight in her hand as she positioned the tip of the knife into the little dent and wacked the other end with the heavy book. The knife broke through the thin metal lid and the jar went skidding across the counter top until it was teetering on the edge. Success. Now all she had to do was use the knife to pry the metal lid apart until she could pull out a pickle.

Kate held the pickle in between her fingers and felt a small sense of accomplishment. But she didn't even want the pickle, she dropped it back into the vinegar and put the jar back in the fridge. Now she could go out. Now she hadn't been defeated by a jar of pickles.

Now she couldn't stop thinking about Daryl Dixon. She'd asked him not to speak to her but she didn't know if that was making her feel better or worse.

/

Daryl pulled up outside of his father's house to deliver Merles chopper. When he climbed out of his truck he noticed his Daddy sitting on the porch steps hunched over resting his elbows on his knees. The man was getting old. He was looking sunken in and scrawny. Years of drinking and rough living were etched over every line of his face.

Daryl could still remember his father when he was in his prime. Broad and strong with a terrifying grin. He had an unpredictable temper that would blow up at any given moment and when that happened you had better run away or face the belt. He'd mellowed with age, or maybe it was because he was weak now. Daryl should have hated his father but he didn't, though he didn't love him either. He didn't know exactly how he felt. The man was his father and he simply accepted it.

"I'm lookin' for Merle," he said when he rolled the chopper off the back of his truck.

"He went out."

Daryl was about to leave but then he stopped and turned around to look at Will Dixon. Sometimes, like last night, when Daryl lost control he wondered if he would become his father. That was why he could never be interested in a girl like Hailee. A girl that would let him turn into a monster and probably apologise for it too. Just like his Mama. That was why he didn't deserve Kate.

"Ya need some money?" Daryl asked.

"Don't need no charity."

"Ya ain't got no water."

"Goddamn pipes are shot," he kicked the heel of his boot against the step he was sitting on. "Whole fuckin' house is a wreck."

Daryl pocketed Merles keys and rolled up his sleeves. "I'll take a look."

His Daddy's brow furrowed and suddenly he looked even smaller than before. "Ya don't have to."

"I know." Daryl didn't want to leave Merle's keys with his father and he didn't want to have to hunt for his brother to hand them to him, that was how he rationalised him staying to fix his Daddy's pipes. Deep down part of him could never quite move past his childhood, there would always be a little boy waiting for Will Dixon's approval, trying to make him happy no matter how much of a waste of time it was.

Daryl decided that he might as well be here, he had nothing else, no one else. The only spark of something different and exciting that had ever happened to him was now ruined. It was probably for the best anyway. He belonged in this shit life and Kate didn't.

* * *

 **A-N** \- Thanks to everyone who has favourited and followed. Keep letting me know if you're liking this story!

Jeanf- I'll see what I can do... season 7 is a long way away! After watching the latest episode I'm thinking of picking up my other story and making it all better haha :)


	10. Week Four

_Monday Morning_

Daryl sat at the security monitors, hunched over the desk with his chin resting on his folded arms like a deflated balloon. He knew what time it was. He knew Kate would be arriving soon. Then there she was, stepping out of her car and making his stomach tighten at the mere sight of her. Luckily for him this week was his turn at working the night shift, Sunday to Thursday, which meant he could avoid her just like she requested.

Daryl stood up and turned his back to the security monitors. He wasn't going to drive himself crazy watching her like he had before. He needed to forget about his stupid crush. He wasn't a thirteen year old girl, he needed to grow some balls and forget she existed. She didn't exist for him anymore. He walked into the security office and started to prepare himself for Shane and Rick's arrival. He wanted to be able to get away from the museum and home to bed as quickly as possible.

/

Kate saw Daryl's blue truck in the car park and knew that he must be on night shifts. It would just be the two of them in the museum for the next 20 minutes. She wondered if she would find him in the breakroom or see him in the hall, then she wondered if he would say something to her or if she would say something to him.

Yesterday she had enjoyed a lazy stroll around Atlanta, browsing shops and stopping for lunch at a tiny café where she sat outside with an ice cold glass of watermelon lemonade. It had been nice but it had been like it always was. Lonely. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy her own company. There was a time when she would have given her right arm for a day on her own but now she had the opposite problem.

Kate had watched the world go by and wondered if she should have been more accepting of Daryl's apology. She was in no way a perfect person. She had done many foolish things when drunk. What bothered her the most was her _slight_ tendency towards biting people's heads off that she'd never had before. And what was it _they_ said about forgiveness? To err is human to forgive, divine. She was in no way divine and admitting any level of fault or changing her stance on a matter was not something she could easily do.

Kate dropped her bag in her office but instead of heading out to make her cup of tea she stepped inside and closed the door where she convinced herself she wasn't hiding. This was a break from her normal routine to be certain but in no way was she trying to avoid Daryl Dixon. She ran her fingers through her hair and pulled a book from her handbag. It was pride and prejudice and she'd started slowly rereading her much loved book last Tuesday. She took a seat in the leather chair and sat with the paperback on her knee unopened.

Kate looked at her watch. She _was_ hiding. She wanted a nice comforting morning cup of tea. A boost of caffeine to make her feel slightly more human. She put the book back in her handbag and stepped out of the office to make her tea and do what she always did. She wasn't going to hide from anyone or anything.

While the kettle boiled she remembered that there was a school group arriving this morning so she needed to make sure the school room was prepared for her lecture and read through the relevant notes to refresh her memory. This was the last week of school tours, they would all be breaking up for their summer holidays.

Kate grabbed her mug of red hot tea, grabbed her file of notes and made her way to the school room. On the way she heard the sound of footsteps echoing down the narrow hall and lifted her head from her reading to see Daryl with his shirt buttoned down and a jacket flung over his shoulder as he patted his pockets for his cigarettes.

 _Bollocks_ , if she turned around now it would look like she was running away since that was exactly what she would be doing. She had no choice but to continue along the hallway that was barely wide enough for two and then they would have no choice but to pass each other. She tried to keep an even pace, though her feet felt like jelly and she wondered idly if she might trip over and fall to the floor.

Kate tried to look past him and act nonchalant but she was not great at subtlety and the incessant need to know if he was looking at her was filling her head louder and louder until it won out. Her eyes flicked to Daryl's face where they locked with his piercing blue ones and made her footsteps falter.

 _Why did I look? Stupid._ She tore her eyes from his and went back to looking behind him where she focused on a little red fire alarm that sat in the middle of the wall at the end of the walkway.

The gap between them closed to the point where one of them might have said something if there was something to be said. But she swallowed any words that might have escaped and let the moment pass as quickly as it had arrived because now they weren't walking towards each other, they were walking away.

Kate had the distinct feeling that if Daryl had said something just now then she would have caved. In fact, she would have caved quite happily. She might have told him that despite what happened at the end of Saturday, the middle had been fun. She'd enjoyed riding a horse for the first time and she'd enjoyed climbing a tree. In fact, it had been the most fun she'd had in a long time. Suddenly she was annoyed at him again for ruining it all.

/

Daryl tried not to watch Kate walk away but he did. She had barely even acknowledged his existence. There was definitely no shy smile, no laugh, no jokes, no talking. He was back to being invisible while she fluttered around like a butterfly in one of her figure hugging dresses. But it wasn't like when she was fluttering around before, because now he knew how firm and perfect the curve of her ass felt in his hands. How sweet and heavy the scent of her perfume was when they were close enough to kiss. Most of all he knew how much he enjoyed talking to her and having her listen and laugh at the things he said.

Daryl's mind crept to Sunday. Thanks to Kate's morning run he knew exactly what she looked like when she was hot, sticky and exhausted with the flush of red that started at her cheeks and crept all the way down her neck and beyond. The way the tops of her breast glistened with perspiration as her chest heaved to catch her breath. He wondered if he could make her that hot and breathless if he had her for the night and knew that he would quite happily do whatever it took.

Daryl's throat was dry and his heart was racing.

"Morning Son," the sound of Lou's voice was like a kick in the balls. Daryl swallowed down hard and tried to act relaxed as he wondered just how long he had been staring at the empty hallways while his mind filled with Kate.

"Katy said you took her to Irma's house."

"She did?" Daryl wondered when they had spoken about it. Probably last night. He knew that Lou liked to call Kate most evenings to 'check on her', although he wasn't exactly sure why. He just assumed it was because Lou was a little old fashioned like that. Like it was his responsibility to keep Kate safe.

"Yes, it's no big secret I don't think…" Lou winked.

"What else she say?"

"She rode a horse…" Lou bashed his cane down on the wooden floor. "I can't believe you got the girl on a horse, she hates the creatures."

There were obviously things she hated more. Like being helpless or showing any kind of failing. Daryl half laughed and looked over his shoulder to where she had disappeared down the hall. Maybe he should have just said something to her?

Daryl rubbed his sleepy eyes, "I gotta head home."

"Oh? That's a shame."

Daryl still wasn't quite sure why Lou liked him so much but the man seemed genuinely disappointed that he wouldn't be there to talk to him today. Maybe it was just because he actually enjoyed listening to the old man's history lessons. Lou was a great story teller and he had a wealth of different ones since England had a long and bloody history.

 _Friday Afternoon_

For the rest of the week Daryl had done better at avoiding Kate despite every fibre in his body telling him not to. Only on Wednesday morning did he find himself watching the monitors, and hating himself for it. If she were a drug she would be illegal. _Jesus Christ,_ the woman was addictive and no matter how much he knew he should stop he couldn't help himself.

Now his run of nights was over. Daryl dragged himself out of bed at 13.01. He made a cup of coffee and a cheese sandwich. He felt rough. Sleeping during the day was restless no matter how tired he was. Today he wanted to get up early so he could sleep in the night even though he knew he would struggle after so many nights forcing himself awake.

He lay on the sofa and flicked on the TV, vegging in front of it until Charlene and Jim arrived home. His friend always picked his girl up from her job at the supermarket where she was the manager. He never let her down.

"Hey hun," Char kicked off her shoes and nudged Daryl's feet off the sofa to make space for her to sit while Jim grabbed everyone a coffee. "I arranged for you to take Cassie out tomorrow."

Daryl sat bolt upright "why the hell did ya do that?"

"Because you're both off work and you need a little sugar in your life," she winked shamelessly.

"No."

"It's a cup of coffee… it won't kill you."

Daryl fell back down and covered his face with one of the million scatter cushions that Charlene obsessively covered every soft surface of the house with. He didn't want to spend time with some strange girl. He didn't want to go on a date. Then he thought about Kate and reconsidered. There was no better way to forget about someone than by fucking someone else. That was always Merles best policy and he would adopt it.

 _Saturday Morning_

Daryl pulled up outside of Cassie's house. It was single story, white washed and had a million orange and yellow flowers planted outside. He stared at the house for five minutes before finally getting out of his truck. He was sure that Charlene's friend would be a nice girl just like she had promised and he should have felt better about meeting her, but he felt awful. He wanted nothing more than to get back into his truck and do anything except ring the doorbell but Char would probably kill him for letting her co-worker down and embarrassing her by not turning up. He'd upset enough women for one week so he took a deep breath and approached the door.

Daryl pressed the bell and could hear the yappy barking of a dog while he waited for Cassie to answer.

"Daryl?"

"Yes ma'am."

Cassie was of a height with him, dark blonde hair and hazel eyes. Her face was round, soft and friendly looking. She had some of the biggest breasts he'd ever seen, even if they were covered in about four layers of clothing despite the Georgia heat. He knew she went to church and from the way she was dressed she was definitely conservative. She was homely, like the moms that brought their kids to the museum.

A tiny white ball of noisy fluff came barging out of the house and began weaving between his feet. He loved dogs but this rat sized creature was not exactly his style.

Cassie bent down to pick up the dog, "hush now Cookie." She placed the dog in the house and they got in his truck.

 _Shit_ , he had forgot to open the door for her. _Never mind._

Charlene had told him exactly what coffee shop to take Cassie to and he followed her instructions. He'd never taken a girl for coffee before since he never went for coffee. At least not in any sort of fancy coffee shop. He wanted greasy diner food or maybe a slice of pie on the side of his coffee, not a hefty portion of overpriced bullshit.

"So, tell me about yourself…" Cassie suggested as they sat down with their coffees.

 _Fucking hell_. This was like a fucking interview. Couldn't they just talk about stuff, random things?

Daryl fidgeted and stared into his cup of coffee. What was there to say about him? "I work in a Museum." That was safe, nothing weird or depressing.

"Charlene already told me, what else?"

 _What else?_ He took a sip of his coffee to buy some time but it was too hot and he burnt his tongue, "shit."

"Now you owe me a dollar for my swear jar."

"Swear jar?"

"You shouldn't cuss."

"Right," he began to clasp and unclasp his hands as his mind found its way to thinking about Kate and how easy it was to talk to her. "Ya like treehouses?"

Cassie scrunched her face up with a mixture of distaste and confusion as if he'd said he fucking hated yappy little dogs. "Charlene didn't tell me you had little ones."

Daryl cleared his throat, "I don't." He took another painful sip of coffee and looked anywhere but his dates face.

"Oh."

A long pause seemed to stretch between them. This was awkward. He was awkward. He couldn't think of one single thing to say.

"Tell me about your family…" Cassie almost demanded.

 _Jesus_. "I have a brother, Merle." Probably best not to talk about his Mama and Daddy. It was probably best not to talk about Merle but he had to fucking say something.

"Merle," she tested the word before smiling brightly, "I come from a big family, there's six of us kids. All four of my brother's work for my Daddy, he runs a big dairy farm and my Mama is a homemaker just like my big sister Lynn."

"That's nice." Daryl wondered if Cassie was looking for a man to make her a homemaker just like her Mama and sister. Probably get him a job on the dairy farm where her Daddy could keep an eye on him and make sure he wasn't fucking up his little girl. He pictured it and felt his face scrunch into a ball.

"On Sunday after church I was thinking of heading over to the fair that Charlene told me about…"

Daryl nodded his head. He fucking hated fairs.

"Maybe I'll see you there…"

"Erm…" Daryl leaned back in his chair and scratched his chin. _Shit_. "Maybe…"

The coffees were finished and he didn't know whether to offer her another one or offer to drive her home so he just waited to see what she did.

Cassie checked her phone and then grabbed her coat off the back of her chair. "Did Charlene give you my number?"

"Yeah." They walked back to the truck and he remembered to open the door for her this time. She might not have been as sexy as Kate but Miss Uppity was also a stone-cold bitch to make up for her big brown eyes and tight figure. Cassie was… in his truck, inviting him to fairs and he was hardly in any position to be picky.

Daryl walked her to her front door where she released the yappy fluff ball before turning to shake his hand. "It was nice meeting you. Maybe one night I can cook dinner for you. Let me know."

"Okay."

"Maybe I'll see you on Sunday."

"Yeah."

Cassie went into the house and Daryl twirled his keys around his finger. Maybe he should stop comparing Kate to Cassie, it was like comparing the sun to the moon. Both had their place. The moon controlled the tides and the sun controlled the grass growing. But there was something about the moon that he loved, even as a kid. Sometimes it hung so low and big in the sky it was like he could almost reach out and touch it.

Daryl glanced at his watch. He was supposed to be going into work this evening to staff the gala that Mr Blake was hosting at the Museum. That meant being in a room with Kate for an entire evening. So no matter how hard he had tried to avoid her all week, tonight he would be getting a full hit.


	11. Party Time

_Saturday Evening_

Kate fell down on her big grey sofa and put her phone to her ear. She had wondered if this call would come, and hoped that it wouldn't. Now here it was. There were no 'hellos' or 'how are you doing' from Jessica. Simply, "I thought you would have called."

"I didn't think you'd want me to." Kate said.

"Ryan was _my_ son. It's his birthday. Nobody cares."

Kate held her breath and let the long pause swallow her. Calling Jessica or not calling her would have been a mistake. Her mother in law had a way of making almost anything Kate's fault.

"I'd like to talk to you when you return. Face to face. There's matters I want to discuss. I assume you'll be returning to London shortly?"

"No," Kate cleared her throat, "I resigned my position at the museum."

"You did what?" Jessica's voice was shrill, accusatory.

"I've taken a new post in Manchester."

"You've already left them for a year, was that not long enough? Your family is here. You won't see them when you're doing more of your soul searching at the other end of the country."

That's what Jessica had called Kate's move to America, 'soul searching', she'd also called her many other things which were hardly worth repeating. Kate had let it slide and blamed it on grief but her Mother in Law had never liked her _before_ their world fell apart. "It's not them in that place Jessica. I don't want to think of them like that. I can't…"

"You're a weak, cruel girl. Abandoning them and me. Ryan wouldn't have heard of it. You know I still don't know why he ever married you. He didn't have to. He wouldn't have wanted me to be alone like this. I lost him…" the sound of Jessica's sobs filled the phone. "You're heartless."

Kate looked at the collection of photographs that sat on the side board and felt her body fill with a heavy numb feeling. Maybe she was heartless now. "I have to go."

"I haven't-"

"I'll call you when I return to England." Kate ended the call and switched her phone to silent before letting it slip from her fingers to the floor.

The last thing she wanted to do right now was get ready to go to a party but backing out was not really an option. She stood up and found the bottle of scotch that Lou had received as a present from the head curator of the last museum before passing it on to her. She wrapped her hand around the lid and turned it, breaking the seal with a satisfying click before she poured herself a full glass of the 25 year old scotch.

/

"You're heading into work?" Charlene barged into the kitchen with two big bags of groceries and set them on the counter.

"Yeah I gotta babysit some party," Daryl sat on a kitchen chair while he pulled on his boots.

"Cassie called…" Charlene smiled coyly and he didn't take the bait. He knew that would drive her crazy.

"Don't you wanna hear what she said?"

He grunted and finished tying his laces.

"She thought you were a little… shy" Char patted his back and laughed. "Good job I already warned her about you."

What did she mean by that? Daryl stood up to give her his best scowl of displeasure. There was no point talking to Charlene when she got like this.

"She also thought you were… I believe her exact words were… _a steaming hot slice of man pie_ ," Charlene laughed even louder than before and he felt his ears burning red.

"Shut up." He didn't wait around for her to tease him anymore. He grabbed his jacket and headed straight for his truck. As he drove into Atlanta he thought about Cassie saying he was good looking. It wasn't the kind of thing that people ever said to him and it made him feel good. Made him wonder if Kate thought that about him.

Daryl arrived at the museum a little later than he had promised Mr Blake but it was still half an hour before the guests were due to arrive. There had been a big catering truck and some others parked in the staff carpark and when he entered the exhibition hall it was a flurry of activity. A huge amount of people running around, making last minute preparations. The party looked like it was spilling over into three of the big halls.

"You're late," Mr Blake shouted from the hallway before he marched over to Daryl. "Go and find Rick, he'll brief you on your duties."

Daryl's duties included nothing but standing around and trying to pretend he wasn't there. No talking to people, no eating the canapes and definitely no drinking. So that was what he did. He stood with his back against the wall and watched the room start to fill with guests while servers slinked around with trays of food and champagne. Eventually the murmur of voices started to grow so loud that it outshone the string quartet that played in the centre of one of the halls.

"Good evening son," Lou approached him and broke one of Mr Blake's rules.

"I'm not supposed to talk to you."

"Nonsense, but I confess I'm actually looking for Katy…"

That was exactly who Daryl had been trying _not_ to look for. He stared at Lou for a moment before he allowed his eyes to scan the room. There were a lot of people. Yet through them all he picked her out of the crowd easily. She had her back to Daryl and her hair was pinned up in a way she'd never worn it before but he just knew it was her. He knew she'd look beautiful and she didn't disappoint. Her dress was floor length in a deep sapphire blue colour that reminded him of the deepest part of the lake that he liked to go fishing on with Jim. The dress had a big cut-out at the back exposing a mile of soft creamy skin then it cinched her waist before flowing down to the long floaty skirt. He let out a long sigh and leaned his whole body against the wall.

Kate picked up a glass of champagne from one waiter, downed it, then pick up a second one from a different waiter. _Jesus_.

"She's over there…" Daryl pointed her out to Lou who he finally remembered was standing there looking at him.

"Ah yes, thanks son," Lou weaved through the throng towards Kate where he wrapped her in an embrace and said something that made her laugh. Just like that. Daryl wanted to break all of Mr Blake's rules. He wanted to leave his place at the wall, grab a drink from the bar and join her in the middle of the room.

When Kate was picking up her fifth glass of champagne Daryl wondered if he really should leave the wall and say something to her. If she was in some kind of drinking competition she was the only one competing.

Kate moved to the next room and he did too. He reasoned with himself that he was trying to stop her doing something stupid. That was what Lou and Mr Blake would want him to do. It wasn't because it was what he wanted to do. It wasn't because from the second he had spotted her, Daryl had known he wouldn't be able to look away for a single moment.

"You realise that Ms Ashwood isn't the precious artefact that you're here to guard," Lou laughed as he appeared from nowhere.

"What?"

"Katy. You haven't taken your eyes off her all evening."

Daryl pulled at the collar of his shirt and felt his cheeks burning. "I just…"

Lou jabbed him in the thigh with his cane, "faint heart never won fair maiden."

Daryl's head snapped around to look at Lou who gave him a shrewd smile and swung his cane dramatically onto his shoulder, "I might be an old man but I'm not a blind one."

"I pissed her off…"

"Flipping heck lad... did Custer give up?"

"Custer died." Daryl replied but it was then that he knew Kate wasn't the only English person to enjoy the champagne at the party.

"Ah yes… but Custer rolls oh so nicely from the tongue. Like Custard."

Daryl saw Kate stumble out of the room and towards the staff corridors. Lou was chuckling away to himself and as much as he wanted to talk with him some more while he was in such a merry state he followed Miss Uppity down the dark corridor towards her office where he grabbed her forearm to stop her stumbling, "what ya doin'?"

Kate pulled her arm from his hand and half laughed, "do you know…" she looked from side to side, "I believe I have forgotten."

"You're drunk."

"I'm not drunk…" she finished the last of her champagne as she tried to stand straight. "I'm relaxing."

Kate definitely looked relaxed. Oh how the mighty had fallen. "You're gonna embarrass yourself."

"Do you think I care what anybody thinks about me?" Kate leaned her back against the wall and pointed her empty glass in his face. "What you think of me?... I don't." She peeled herself off the wall and began to stagger back to the party.

"Ya do care," he decided as he manhandled her into the office and into her chair. "Ya won't want people seein' ya like this. Wait 'ere I'll be right back." He shut the door let out a small laugh then opened it again, "I mean it woman, wait 'ere."

Daryl went to tell Mr Blake that he was going to take Kate home. He lied and said she was feeling ill rather than drunk and his boss was grateful that he was taking care of her so he wouldn't have to. He actually smiled and said, "well done Daryl." Except it wasn't too well done since when he went back to get Kate she was gone. Of course she was fucking gone. He should have just taken the risk and left with her when he had her in his hands. Damn woman couldn't do as she was told.

Daryl pushed his way through the party to the security monitors. He rewound the camera that sat outside of her office to watch her stumbling out and leaving the building via the staff door. He could hardly believe that Miss Uppity was in such a state.

Daryl jumped in his truck and drove around the streets until he spotted her walking in the dark. He rolled down his window and shouted, "hey."

Kate paused and turned to look at him before she rolled her eyes and carried on.

He drove slowly alongside of her, following her for several steps before he said, "let me take ya home."

"Piss off." she didn't even look at him that time and he let out a heavy sigh. She was so fucking stubborn it was ridiculous.

"It's cold an' dark, ya shouldn't be out 'ere…"

Miss Drunk Ass Uppity flipped him off.

"Well ya got a long goddamn way to walk in those shoes…" Daryl barked feeling exasperated. She was wearing strappy heels that looked painful and uncomfortable to walk in even if you weren't on a drunken hike.

Kate paused and turned to look at him as she began to pull off one shoe. Then she threw it at him and shouted "don't you fucking know when to leave someone alone?"

Daryl jumped back and lucky for him she had terrible aim. She was acting insane, unruly and yet somehow he still found himself more attracted to her than ever. He pulled over, jumped out of his truck, threw her discarded shoe into the cabin and marched over to her.

"What are you doing?" Kate demanded as she fell back against a post box.

"Get in the goddamn truck."

"No, I won't."

"Yes, ya will." Daryl's hands clamped on Kate's shoulders.

"What are you going to do, kidnap me?" she laughed and sank a little into his arms.

"Well I already asked ya nicely. If ya want me to beg ya it ain't gonna happen darlin'."

Kate straightened up and decided to pull herself from his grip but he could easily overpower her. There was no way she was going to say yes and give in to him and there was no way he was going to leave her out here. That only left him with one option. Daryl picked her up bridal style and threw her into his vehicle where she landed in a tangled pile of sapphire blue dress with a wild look on her face.

"Arsehole."

"That's what ya get for throwin' a damn shoe at my head." Daryl climbed in his truck and started the engine before she had a chance to jump out.

Kate sat silently seething, casting furious glances at him in between soft little huffs.

"Ya sure as shit know how to hold a fuckin' grudge."

"You sure know how to piss me off."

Daryl coughed to cover up the laugh that escaped his mouth. "I said I was sorry. I didn't mean it... you poured a pitcher of beer over my head in front of half the damn town so I say we're 'bout equal."

Kate sniggered.

"Yeah laugh it up… that's what everyone else does. They say I got my ass handed to me by a girl."

"Ha…" she waggled her finger in his face. "that's what you get Mr Dixon."

Daryl batted her hand away and she sank back into the seat in a fit of drunken giggles before she began to take off her other shoe and inadvertently give him an eyeful of her thigh while she did it.

"Oh my god," Kate bent down, almost falling into the foot well as she received something from the floor. When she clambered back into her seat she held a diamante dog in between her fingers. It looked like it had broken off a keychain.

"That must be Cassie's," Daryl decided out loud.

"Cassie?" she threw it at him. "Urgh... let me out of this… sex truck, before I catch something."

"Jesus Christ woman…" he picked up the dog and shook his head, "you are somethin' else. What the hell are ya talkin' 'bout now?"

"You… and your car full of condoms and loose women…"

Like a teenager he felt his cheeks tinge pink at the sound of the word condoms rolling from her mouth in her seductive accent that made him hot under the collar no matter what she was saying. "What… condoms?"

"I threw them out the window. Ha."

Daryl snorted. "You're a goddamn lunatic."

"Well you're a bit of a… slutty slut."

 _Slut_? Daryl let out one loud laugh and shook his head. She couldn't have been further from the truth. "I ain't had sex…" he cleared his throat, "in this truck for a long time…" then he couldn't resist "'less ya offerin'…"

That wiped the satisfied look off Kate's face and she blushed before tucking the errant strands of hair behind her ears, "I'm sure that's what you would say."

"That ain't a no…"

Kate's blush deepened and she leaned close to him before jabbing him in the rib and saying, "no."

 _Jesus_ , he hoped she had forgot this conversation by the morning about as much as he hoped she remembered it.

Daryl pulled up outside of her house and she was quick to clamber out of his truck before screeching, "shitting hell."

She had a worse damn potty mouth than he did. Cassie and her swear jar could make a small fortune off a friendship with Kate. Daryl jumped around the side of his truck to see Miss Uppity haphazardly leaning one hand on the car door while she tried to balance on one leg and look at the sole of her foot.

He held in his laugh at her terrible coordination as he kneeled down and took her foot in his hand, to try and take a look, "stop ya damn wiggling."

"Stop tickling me then," Kate snatched her foot from his hand and fell forwards bumping into him.

Daryl tried to ignore the fact that her breasts were mere inches from his face as he let out a shuddery breath and wrapped his hands around her waist to steady her before he stood up from his kneeling position on the floor. Then he lifted Kate onto the hood of his car to take another look at her injury. He wondered if she might stop him from lifting up the hem of her dress and cupping his hand around the back of her ankle to investigate the underside of her foot but she didn't. she just sat there silently watching him with her big brown eyes.

Kate was cut but not bleeding. "You'll live… darlin'." The word slipped out for the second time and he kind of liked it. She might have been a slightly unhinged, messy drunk but she was still cute and sexy. His girlish crush was not going anywhere so he might as well resign himself to it while she was still here.

"Hmph," Kate slid down from his truck and hobbled to her door while she opened the tiny purse that was dangling from her tiny wrist.

Daryl wasn't exactly sure what to do now he'd brought her safely home but he followed her anyway. Kate fell through her front door and half hopped, half walked towards what looked like her kitchen. Daryl hung back in the doorway and laughed before he decided to step into her house. He might have rationalised that he wanted to make sure she was okay but in reality he simply wanted to talk to her some more.

There was a little table in the hallway that was covered in a bowl full of sunglasses, a tube of Chanel lipstick and a bottle of perfume. He picked up the little glass bottle to smell the scent and it filled his lungs like the first much needed and much satisfying drag of his morning cigarette. It was the smell of Kate and it was good. There was something strangely enjoyable about snooping around her house like this. He knew it was a rental and the furniture wasn't hers but the mess of handbags that dangled from the coat hooks were. Why the hell did she have so many? He ran his hands along them all making them swish and dance before he poked his head into the living room.

Daryl glanced around the room before he noticed a group of picture frames sitting on a cabinet. His eyes went wide and he got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach as he locked onto one of them.

 _Kate was married? She had a fucking husband? What the fuck?_

Daryl's heart began racing and his stomach continued to churn as he threw himself across the room to pick it up to get a closer look. He looked at Kate then he looked at her husband. He was tall, slim, fair but there was something else. It was hard to tell because of the expanse of white lace but there was a definite shape to that wedding dress. His eyes quickly scanned the next photos. They were family pictures. Kate had a son. He felt even more sick. Why hadn't she said anything? Why hadn't Lou said anything? A million more things started to run around his brain as he stared at the pictures, rooted to the spot.

The sound of footsteps began to thud along the hardwood of the hall. Daryl quickly put the wedding photo down but it was too late. He caught her brown eyes looking at him then at the pictures. She wrapped her arms around herself and plodded towards him to pick up the middle picture, the one that was just her little boy standing on some stone steps with a huge smile of his face and the same eyes that she had. Exactly the same.

"They're dead." The words seemed to fill the entire room.

Daryl felt like he had been winded. Shock, mixed with pain, replaced anything else he had been feeling. "I'm sorry."

Kate didn't say anything, she just stared at the picture, then back at him.

He reached out to touch her. He wanted to wipe away the one big tear that had spilled over from her big brown eyes and rolled a path down her cheek.

Kate jerked her face away from his fingers and her voice was strained as she whispered, "please leave."

"Kate…"

"I don't want your pity… just leave me alone…"

Daryl wanted to say no but he didn't want to upset her. He wanted to say something meaningful but he had no words. So he stepped past her and paused at the door frame to look at her one last time before he left her house just like she had asked. He felt awful but he hadn't been prepared. Suddenly any part of Kate that had never quiet made any sense, now made all the sense in the world.

 **A/N** \- Thanks for reading. I'd love to hear some feedback.


	12. The Cure

The knocking of the door was the equivalent to a hammer to her skull. Kate wiped the matted tendrils of hair from her forehead and rolled off the sofa, the weight of the alcohol was still resting heavily in her stomach as she staggered to the door still dressed in last night's clothes.

Kate opened the door a crack to see Daryl Dixon standing there. _Shit_ , she shut the door in his face and leaned on the handle. What the hell was he doing here? She glanced at the entry way mirror to see the panda eyes of mascara and streaks from last night's tears, bedraggled hair and her dress. She was an absolute mess.

"Ain't ya gonna let me in? I came all this way…" Daryl's thick accent called from the other side of the door.

"I don't want you to see me like this," she blurted and could hear him laughing at her which made her feel even more mortified than she already did. "If you were a gentleman you would avoid me and pretend last night didn't happen."

"Good thing I ain't a gentleman then… an' I have somethin' for ya."

Kate wiped away the most of the mascara and smoothed down her unruly hair. What did she care anyway? To hell with vanity. It was only Daryl.

/

Kate let the door swing open and Daryl's eyes looked at the length of her with a faint smirk, she looked like the walking dead. He held out a flask, "Merles hangover cure," which Daryl had painstakingly put together this morning.

"Who the hell's Merle?"

"My brother," for a split second he thought she might slam the door shut again, but she didn't. Instead, Kate stepped back from the middle of the doorway and inclined her head to allow him entry into her home.

Daryl stepped past her and looked at the table covered in sunglasses and perfume. Then he tried not to look into the living room where he knew the photographs all sat waiting. Would he say something to her? He hadn't decided. He still wasn't entirely comfortable with his decision to return to her house this morning but she had been on his mind when he went to sleep last night and she was on his mind when he woke. Seeing her had felt more like a compulsion than an option.

Daryl stepped onto the light grey tiled floor of her kitchen. It was modern and sparse. Unlike the hallways which had acquired a clutter of Kate like possessions there was nothing in here to indicate that anyone lived here. It was so opposite to Charlene and Irma's kitchens which always had a pile of kitchen gadgets, utensils and ingredients scattered about the counter. He placed Merle's cure on the marble top and watched Kate slump down heavily at the kitchen table. She folded her arms in front of her and nestled her head in between. Heavy drinking, heavy hangover.

Daryl spotted the cupboard with the glasses glistening through the little glass squares on the door. He grabbed a big one and filled it with what he knew was an absolutely vile tasting liquid before he dug in his pocket for the box of aspirins he had brought and popped two out of the blister.

"Here," he placed the glass and the pills in front of her.

Kate arose from her arms with a pained sigh before she picked up the glass. He felt bad for coming here and realised that she might have preferred to be left alone to sleep it off rather than having him watching her. She smelled the liquid in the glass before crinkling her nose, "what exactly is this?"

"All ya need to know is that it works."

Kate narrowed her big brown eyes and stared him down but he didn't look away. He wondered if she would trust him, if she would ignore all instincts that would tell a sane person not to drink the acrid liquid and simply drink it because he said she should. He felt himself holding his breath as he wondered if she would take what he had offered. He wanted her trust back. Even if they could only have friendship and nothing more, he would take it gladly. She picked up the two pills off the table before ever so delicately placing them in her mouth and with a small resigned sigh she chased them down with the hangover cure.

"Bloody hell!" Kate exclaimed as the taste of the cure set in, "are you actually trying to kill me?"

Daryl tried his best to hide his amusement while he ordered her to "drink it." Then he began to search her bare cupboards for food. The woman had virtually nothing to make for breakfast or any other meal. Just a box of tea, a carton that had about a mouthful of milk, a bottle of champagne and a questionable looking jar of pickles. He closed the fridge door, "don't ya eat 'round 'ere?"

"I… go out."

Daryl snorted, "ya best get dressed then, I'm goddamn starvin'."

Kate downed the last of the cure and pulled a face. He wasn't sure if it was at the taste or because he was bossing her around but then she demanded, "what?"

"Ya heard me," he replied and allowed a smile to spread across his face, "now git…" Daryl pointed to the stairs and before she could respond he quickly let himself into the back yard. He was feeling more confident now. Kate might have been bossy and stubborn. In fact, she probably always got people to bend to her will but last night when he had thrown her in his truck and she'd looked as pissed off as she could possibly look, he could tell that she'd liked it. She'd enjoyed losing control and he'd enjoyed taking it.

/

The door slammed shut behind Daryl and Kate seethed. _Who the hell did he think he was bossing her around in her own house_? She jumped up and peaked through the kitchen window to see him lighting up a cigarette. "Arsehole," she decided before stalking over to the back door and resting her fingertips on the latch. She thought about locking him out and played the scenario through in her head. No outcome involved him quietly sneaking away over the neighbour's gardens so the idea fell flat. Then her stomach growled and her hangover demanded a big plate of greasy food and caffeine.

 _Fine_ , Kate decided. She'd get ready and go for breakfast but only because _she_ wanted to. Not because he told her to. _Why was he here anyway_? She grabbed her empty glass and shoved it in the dishwasher before plodding up the stairs and resisting the urge to fall into bed for a three hour nap.

When she emerged from the shower Kate felt almost human again except for her rumbling tummy. She decided to let her hair air dry and flung open her closet to browse her clothes. It was unbearably humid and she wanted to be comfortable. She found some dark floral cotton trousers and floaty navy cami. Then she looked at her shoes, she had a nice pair of sandals with a block heel that would stop her from feeling like a midget like she did whenever she wore flats, or there were her black leather Birkenstocks that her best girl friend from university had lovingly named her 'old lady shoes'. She went for comfort and slipped on the old ladies. Tinted moisturiser, a slick of mascara and her favourite red lipstick and she was ready.

Daryl was still in the garden when she went down stairs. She opened up the door and stepped outside, letting it fall shut behind her.

"I fixed it…" he rasped then swung the porch swing with a satisfied smile. He looked so ridiculously manly with his sleeves rolled up as he 'fixed her shit'. It annoyed her.

"Look, I don't need you fixing things and… poking your fingers around in places…" Kate heard herself and quickly added "in my house."

"Why?"

Why? It was a simple question and one she had no valid answer to. "Because…" she let out an exasperated gasp. "I can fix it myself or… hire someone to do it for me."

Daryl stepped forward, he invaded her personal space and she suddenly wished she was wearing the heels. "Now ya don't need to," he said before he stared her down and leaned one of his hands on the house, hemming her between him and the closed door.

Kate knew he was just being friendly and helpful but there was something about him being here and looking after her that was making her feel anxious. Maybe it was because in the past year she had never had anyone but Lou in her personal space and now here he was taking up all the room. She stared at the buttons on his shirt and tucked her hair behind her ears. "You're… overstepping the mark."

Daryl let out a low gruff laugh, "what mark?"

"You're not my…" _Boyfriend, shit, can't say that._ "Handyman," Kate decided before she turned around to get inside the house and away from him before he could ask another question.

She could feel him following her and she tried to ignore him as she poured the contents of last night's clutch bag into a bigger handbag and pulled the strap across her chest. She grabbed her ray bans and sprayed on her perfume like she always did before instantly regretting it as she caught sight of the way Daryl was looking at her in the reflection of the hallway mirror. He was smelling her perfume and instead of feeling flattered that he liked it she felt even more anxious than previously.

She fell back onto her door handle and reached behind to open it. She wanted to believe he was _only Daryl_ but he made her nervous in a way that was familiar yet long forgotten. It was like being trapped in the moment before she had her very first kiss, the same fluttery mixture of heart stopping excitement and palm sweating panic.

As soon as she stepped outside she cringed as her eyes landed on his blue truck and their previously forgotten conversation from last night sprung to the forefront of her mind. She couldn't believe she had uttered the words _'_ _sex truck'_ to him. She let him hop down her front steps before she turned to lock the door and buy herself some time while the redness that had filled her cheeks died down along with her dignity.

Kate wondered once more what on earth had possessed Daryl to come to her house this morning.

/

"Ya wanna walk somewhere for breakfast, or take a ride…" Daryl paused and scratched his chin as he measured her up and dared to say, "in the sex truck?"

That caught her attention as she let out a small gasp and squared up to him in the uppity way that only she could, "you are definitely no gentleman, Mr Dixon."

Daryl chuckled to himself and grabbed his sunglasses out of his truck. He maybe should have been nicer and tried his best not to embarrass her but he loved the way she looked and acted when he ruffled her feathers. He watched her marching away then chased after her. "Sorry… I couldn't help myself…" he tried not to grin.

"When you were drunk… I let you fall on your head… gladly," Kate huffed.

 _Gladly_. Daryl snorted. "Lucky for you…" the words caught on the tip of his tongue. He was going to say, lucky for her she was so pretty but thankfully his mind caught up to his mouth and he changed the subject. "Ya ever been to Waffle House?" Daryl pointed down the road.

"No."

She was like a damn alien. Who had never been to a Waffle House?

They sat at a little booth facing each other and the waitress poured them a coffee while Kate looked at the menu in between two big sleepy yawns that made him smile and realise that he was infatuated. She ordered bacon, egg and cheese on toast and Daryl ordered steak and eggs plus two chocolate chip waffles since "ya can't come to waffle house without gettin' a waffle."

/

Kate watched Daryl spooning his standard 4 scoops of sugar into his coffee. He knew her secret. He knew about Harry and Ryan, yet he had said nothing. He was acting normal. She didn't know what to think of it. She hadn't faced this situation before. She had never told someone that didn't _know_. The people that did know she avoided, except Lou. That was why she had happily sold her house and ran away from her life. She didn't want to have to talk about it or face all the awkward pitying looks from her friends and colleagues.

"Why did you come here this morning?" Kate asked the question that had been plaguing her.

"I… er… was worried about ya."

"But you don't know me. Not really."

"I know 'bout messy drunks."

Daryl suddenly looked sad and she somehow knew he wasn't talking about her or even himself. She tucked her hair behind her ear and looked out of the window. A little old couple walked past, hand in hand and smiling. "What did Dale say to you?"

"Irma's sick, she's gonna…" he didn't need to say it, "they're gonna sell the farm…"

 _Poor Dale_. She thought about the treehouse and the carved heart, "I'm sorry."

"Ain't your fault..." he stared into his coffee for the longest time. He looked so miserable. Kate's hand slipped across the table to where her fingertips were just touching the tips of his and their eyes met. She didn't know what had come over her except that she had needed to touch him, she opened her mouth to say something but then the food arrived and she sat back, sliding her hand away and back onto her lap.

Kate took a big bite into her sandwich and it tasted _okay_ but like a lot of things it tasted different to what it did in England. Different cheese, different bacon, even the eggs tasted different. It should have been the same but it was _different_. Still, she finished her sandwich in record time and was a little embarrassed at the speed with which she had consumed it but the hangover needed feeding. Daryl arranged her waffle in front of her and with the enormous jug of syrup, the biggest jug of syrup she had ever seen, he drew a smiley face on it and she couldn't help but laugh. He was a strange and unexpected man, not the kind of man she would have expected to smiley face her waffles.

"Very artistic," she teased and a strange look passed over his face.

/

Daryl placed the jug back in its place and felt his cheeks start to burn. He wasn't exactly sure why he had just syruped up her waffles like some kind of soppy little pussy but he did like the way it made her smile. This was exactly what had happened to Jim, one day he had been a normal man, hunting, fishing, drinking, they had known Charlene for years so when they went on a date it shouldn't have been a problem but it was like he had been body snatched. He'd gone in Jim and come out Charlene's boyfriend.

"What ya gonna do today?" Daryl said.

Kate bit her lip in concentration and Daryl decided she was probably thinking up something to say so she wouldn't have to spend any more time with him but instead she said, "I don't know."

This was his chance and he realised he hadn't planned for this part. _Fuck, need to think of something_. "Ya wanna go to the fair?"

"A fair?"

It occurred to him that Cassie _might_ be there but it was too late to turn back now, "ya wanna go?"

"Together?"

 _Jesus_ , the woman just couldn't say yes. Daryl made a point of looking over his shoulder, "I don't see anyone else…" He wasn't going to let this drop.

/

Kate tried to think of what to say. Did she want to go to a fair? Did she want to spend more time with him? What about Hailee and Cassie? All points not to go seemed irrelevant when she pictured going home and spending the rest of the day in solitude but she couldn't just say 'yes'. She needed to assert some sort of authority. "I'll drive," Kate decided. Then the waitress brought the bill and she practically snatched it out of the woman's hand before she paid for breakfast. "Ready?"


	13. Funfair

**A/N** \- It feels like ages since I updated but I had some serious writers block on this chapter! Hope you enjoy it and thanks to all the people who have started following and favourited!

* * *

Kate loved to drive. Ever since she had passed her test at 17 she had loved the pure freedom of jumping behind the wheel and saying "where next?" Her first car was a white Volkswagen Golf bought and paid for by many weekends and school holidays working her part time job at the local Marks and Spencers. Despite the big scratch that the rear bumper had acquired on day two of owning the car it was still her favourite.

After the accident Kate hadn't got behind the wheel of a car for weeks. She had barely left Lou's house after he took her in so that she, "didn't do something regrettable." Lou's house reminded her of a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novel with his eccentric assortment of items which were all mashed together from a lifetime of collecting. Bookshelves crammed and ever dusty, a Queen Anne desk with a secret compartment that contained a taxidermy bat, a bust of Wellington that sat perilously on a fragile antique end table inlaid with a teal hummingbird and fuchsia pink flowers.

Lou lived in the heart of London and Kate was sequestered to his guest room with its heavy burgundy curtains that remained mostly closed despite his best efforts to "cheer her up." Until one day. She'd woke in confused darkness, endured the moment where she remembered Harry was really gone and grabbed her phone. It was three in the afternoon.

 _This has to stop._ She'd told herself and _this_ day she had meant it. Kate had flung open the curtains and let the light that jumped into the room burn her eyes until she could find focus. Then she saw them there, bright, cheerful and full of the promise of spring. Daffodils in full bloom, a whole happy bunch of them swaying in the window box outside her room. She'd missed it. The point where the shoots become buds and buds become flowers. She opened the window to pluck one from its friends before she twirled it between her fingers. It was an event that she never actively looked for but it was always there, when the seasons began to change and a sea of yellow began to pop from green and suddenly the days felt a little warmer.

This was the turning point. The daffodils reminded her that no matter what she did the world was still going by without her. Kate decided to travel back in time, if only for today. Her keys had been difficult to find amongst the clutter of her possessions but when she had them she had pulled on whatever clothes her fingers found and jumped behind the wheel of her car. The family car, the Silver Volvo that Ryan had bought for her without discussion.

Kate drove for hours that day, chasing the daffodils all the way from London to Derbyshire where Spring hadn't yet bloomed. She bought a sandwich, cheese with Branston Pickle, and took a seat on some grass next to a cluster of daffodil buds. The yellow promise of the petals were just poking through, then it began to rain. It was a light mist like rain that sits in tiny pin prick water droplets on everything it touches and she decided to return home, or at least return to Lou, where she told him that she would like to join him on his trip to America if he would still have her.

Now, the air conditioning blew an icy breeze that was so beautifully refreshing that Kate could almost forget she was in the sticky Georgia heat while the speakers blasted out the summertime sounds of the Stone Roses album she had stolen from an old boyfriend. The bright red Mustang had been a somewhat extravagant rental choice on Kate's part but since the Museum were footing her expenditures she thought she might as well enjoy herself.

The drive to the fair wasn't the gridlocked city driving that clipped the engines wings. It was long empty stretches of country road that made the car feel like it could fly and their only witnesses were the livestock grazing in the fields.

Daryl told her to "take the next left," and her eyes left the road to steal a glance at him. He was sitting with his legs parted lazily, one elbow resting in the spot where the window met the door and his other in his lap, fingers splayed with his thumb indicating the way to his crotch where her eyes lingered for longer than was appropriate. Even looking wasn't exactly appropriate. Kate felt her cheeks redden and her eyes flicked back to the road as her finger cranked the air conditioning a little higher to combat the hot feeling that was superheating her.

"Over there ya see," he said, gesturing in the distance.

Kate could see the outline of some of the biggests rides peaking out over the treeline and she felt the excited anticipation in the same way she used to feel as a child going to a fair.

The carpark was a huge field half filled with trucks and fully filled with mud. She tried her best not to park in the worst of it and then it was official. They had arrived. With the engine off the silence filled the car, only punctuated by the dull thud of Kate's own heartbeat ringing in her ears as she turned to look at Daryl. Why did he make her so nervous? The more time she was spending with him the worse it seemed to be getting.

Daryl gave her a small smile before he jumped out of her car and lit his perfunctory cigarette. She realised that he reminded her of an old boyfriend she had when she was studying for her A-Level's, the same from whom she had acquired the CD. He was the 'bad boy' boyfriend that was almost a rite of passage for most teenage girls. He'd been older, cooler, the kind of boy she would have never brought home to her parents, if they gave a shit. He'd given her many firsts, everything was always so exciting with him, until she went away to University and left him behind. _Liam_ , she hadn't really thought about him in a long time.

Kate pulled down her sun visor and looked at her face in the little mirror before reapplying a coat of her lipstick. Then she looked out the wing mirror at Daryl and wondered what he had been like when he was 18. Probably just the same as he was now.

/

The fair was as bright, loud and obnoxious as Daryl knew it would be except it wasn't annoying him in the way it usually would. There were rides, games, food stalls and a little petting zoo in between the large crowd of people that were milling around. They joined the throng, walking side by side and he wondered if this was a date but knew he wouldn't dare mention the word. Not only did he not think he could force it from his mouth but he knew Kate probably wouldn't like that idea very much, even if that's exactly what it was.

Daryl watched her run her fingers through her long hair before tying it up in a high ponytail. It was such an ordinary thing for her to do, he'd seen Charlene do it many times but there was something about watching Kate doing it that made him want to run his finger along the back of her newly exposed neck before he kissed her there.

Instead he asked her, "what ya wanna do first?"

"Erm," Kate looked around as she kneeled to stroke a billy goat that was poking its head through a metal fence at the petting zoo. "Shall we go on some rides?"

"Ya like rides?" All that spinning and flying through the air made him uneasy. He liked his feet on the ground or his ass behind the wheel of whatever was travelling faster than he could walk.

"You did invite me to a fair…"

"Just checkin'." The last thing he was going to do was pussy out in front of Miss Uppity and he wasn't _scared_. Dixon's weren't scared of anything. He felt a short, hard tug on his jeans followed by another. He tried to jump away but failed as a great big goat held onto his back pocket.

Of course Kate would like this. She laughed before she made her way behind him to ward off the goat while saying, "she wants a piece of your arse… but she'll have to get in line I suppose."

Daryl liked to think she was talking about herself but from the wink she gave him he knew she was referring to her ridiculous idea of his sex truck. "Be a damn short line an' I don't wanna give my ass to a goat.."

"Oh look," Kate pointed behind him before sweeping past. It was a sea of yellow fuzzies as a hundred chicks all scurried around little their pen with their tiny squeaky chirps. He watched an attendant pick one up and pass it to her then watched the way her face lit up like it did whenever she smiled. Kate turned and looked to him, holding the chick up so he could see.

"Cute," Daryl said as he stroked its little head. His eyes never left hers. Jesus Christ she was pretty.

"I'm glad you like it, I just bought you six."

Daryl's face fell, "what?"

Kate bit her lip and he felt relief flood him as he could see laugher start to bubble forth. "Don't worry Mr Dixon I don't buy livestock on a date," she giggled then stiffened, her cheeks filling with pink, "I mean…"

"Shall we get out tickets," Daryl interrupted. There was no way in hell he was going to let the woman correct her slip up. This was fucking great. Miss Uppity might be trying to play hard to get but she was the one saying the word _date_ which meant she was thinking it.

Kate was suspiciously silent and frozen like a statue so he decided to act cool even if inside he was doing a happy dance, the kind of ridiculous happy dance that he always frowned at Charlene for doing whenever she won a few dollars on the lottery. But then he couldn't be too damn cool, he wanted to touch her, he wanted their date to end with a kiss. Daryl stepped a little closer before he eased his fingers in between hers to take the chick and return it to its pen.

"We should wash our hands," Kate decided before she turned around and marched towards a little water butt that had been set up in between all the pens. She was trying to avoid looking at him and her cheeks still had that rosy glow that he liked so damn much. He didn't think he'd ever made a woman react this way and he found it strangely erotic, her blushes and her reluctance to give into him. She couldn't even give into the word date without a fight which made the hunter inside of him even more eager.

"Two," Daryl said to the pimple faced teenager that was running the ticket stall. He'd used his chance when Kate was distracted to buy her a wristband and seal the notion of this being a date. He found her standing exactly where he left her, wearing the exact same dumbfounded expression.

"I've never in my life seen a monkey ride a dog," Kate turned to look at him and he couldn't tell if it amused or horrified her.

"Welcome to Georgia," he chuckled before he shoved his bright orange wristband into his pocket then pulled the sticky label off of Kate's. She could have affixed her own quite easily but it was an excuse to pick up her wrist as he carefully wrapped it around. "Don't let a goat eat it, or a monkey."

"Thank you," Kate almost whispered as she grasped her wrist in her other hand.

They walked towards the rides and of course the first one she wanted to go on was in Daryl's opinion the worse. It spun around, it spun upside down, it looked fucking awful. He supposed it was like eating vegetables, better to get them out of the way first then he could enjoy the rest of the meal.

After they had been on every ride at least once, Daryl was feeling more than a little bit motion sick. He decided what he needed to make himself feel better was a full stomach. Somehow he knew that the sweet and greasy goodness would settle the sick feelings in a way that only fair ground food could.

"We should get candyfloss," Kate declared with a great big smile. Daryl rolled the word and the way she had said it around in his head. _Candyfloss_ , not cotton candy.

"And corndogs," Daryl suggested, as they joined a queue for a big food truck. His mouth was watering at the mere thought of eating one.

Kate pulled a face, "I think I'll pass."

"You can't pass, fair ground rules..."

"Rules?" she gave him a devilish smile. "What will _you_ do if I break them?"

Daryl swallowed down hard and a hundred and one ideas crossed his mind, all of them dirty, "I'll have to…"

"What ya'll wanting?" the old man standing in food truck interrupted them.

Daryl cleared his throat. Probably for the best. Despite what Miss Uppity said he ordered her a corn dog before he asked, "what ya wanna drink?"

Kate bit her lip and he wondered if she would decline his offer to buy her a drink but eventually she let out a soft sigh and relented, "lemonade."

 _Success_. Daryl passed Kate her corn dog and her drink with no resistance except for the sexy little pout she gave to the corn dog.

"Ya ever even had one?"

"That's not the point."

"Well if ya ain't tried it how do ya know?"

"Sometimes you just _know_."

Daryl stared at the alien who had never even had a corn dog, with all her hair that was falling out of her ponytail and her floral pants that made her look like some kind of goddamn hippy. "If ya don't like it I'll eat it," he decided as they took a seat next to each other on a picnic table.

"But you'll get my…" Kate put the corn dog to her lips and half laughed before she said " _cooties_ ".

 _Cooties_ , he wondered how she could be both sexy and adorable at the same time. Daryl took a long drink of his coke and tried not to react but he was thinking about better ways to get her cooties all over him. His eyes fell to Kate's lips and with bated breath he watched her take a bite of the corn dog. It might have been because he was wondering if she would enjoy it but it was more likely because he liked the way her mouth had wrapped around the end. He was a damn pervert. She caught his eye and he looked away, his ears burning. Thank god people couldn't read thoughts.

Daryl spotted Charlene first, her long red hair was unmistakable. Not far behind her was Jim in the trucker hat that never seemed to leave his head. Daryl wondered if his friend would wear the 'Jim's Construction' hat to his own wedding and knew that Char would likely shoot him if he did. He relaxed, he kind of liked the idea of his friends meeting Kate then Charlene could stop setting him up all time.

Daryl was almost about to stand up and wave them over when there she was, Cassie. She stepped out from behind a group of teenagers who were clustered together taking selfies and throwing popcorn at each other. His heart sank to the bottom of his feet. _Shit_.

"You can have it," Kate nudged his shoulder bringing his attention back to her big brown eyes and soft smile.

"What?"

Her brow furrowed, "my corn dog."

"Right," Daryl swallowed down the queasy feeling that was rising. The idea of grabbing hold of Kate and running away crossed his mind and seemed like the best option. But when he looked back towards Charlene she waved to him and he forced a smile. _Fuck_.

Daryl knew he had to say something to Kate before they got here. What was she going to think? Or on second thoughts maybe it wasn't too late to run.


	14. Two's A Company

**A/N-** Thank you to those of you who left feedback, nice to hear that you guys are enjoying this :)

* * *

Cassie, Jim and Charlene had almost reached the picnic table and Daryl couldn't help but think of a million and one other places he could have taken Kate instead of the fair. What had he been thinking? This was exactly what Daryl got for having zero game when it came to women. Cassie was the one woman he had taken on a blind date in his entire life and now she was coming face to face with Kate on their almost date.

"I get the feelin' ya gonna kill me…" he decided.

Kate's eyes narrowed and she half smiled in the playful way that made the bees in his stomach buzz into a frenzy that could almost mask the sick feelings of seeing Cassie.

"Charlene and Jim are 'ere, ya remember 'bout them?"

Kate tucked her hair behind her ears, "I recall."

"It's kinda… well it goes like this…" Daryl sat silently staring at her, his fingers drumming on the wood of the picnic table to try and dispel the nervous energy that was pumping around his body.

"Do spit it out…"

"Char got it in 'er head that I need settin' up… ya know…" he cleared his throat to try and muffle the next word, "dates... well… ya know… she's here."

"Who?" Kate asked as she took a sip of her lemonade.

Daryl rubbed the back of his neck where he could feel tension creeping in and forced himself to say, "Cassie."

Kate placed her drink on the table, her expression unreadable. "What's that got to do with me?"

She took it better than he had expected but that only disappointed him. He wanted Cassie to be her problem even if she wasn't a problem in the first place. He didn't know exactly what he wanted Kate's reaction to be but maybe anger and jealousy would have been preferable. In fact she looked mildly amused that his blind date was heading right for them.

"Hey man," Jim slapped his back and Daryl stood up to greet Charlene who was only interested in staring at Kate who was still sitting at the picnic table. Daryl looked from Cassie back to Miss Uppity and there was no comparison between the two. One of them made his stomach churn and the other made his heart race.

"This is... Kate…" Daryl's eyes flicked to Jim. He just hoped his old friend had the sense not to mention the rediculous high school crush that he had confessed to having for the english woman.

/

"Kate," Jim repeated, stretching out her name as a slow smile crossed his bearded face. He took the hand she offered and wrapped it in both of his. "Ain't you something," he gave her an odd look before looking to Daryl then back to her.

Charlene backhanded Jim's chest, "you should text Jason and ask him to join us. I'm sure his friends won't mind."

"Why?" Jim adjusted his trucker hat and gave Kate another coy smile until he caught the eye of his agitated looking fiancee. "Alright, Alright," he pulled his phone from his pocket and typed out a message.

Daryl's 'date' wasn't what Kate had pictured when she had heard Cassie's name. She'd pictured Hailee mark two; tiny skirt, diamantes adorning all items of clothing and a thick layer of makeup. Cassie was more _ordinary_. Her shoulder length hair was neatly pushed off her face with an alice band. She wore light blue bootcut jeans, a lilac tee shirt and a darker purple cardigan that had flowers embroidered into it. If Kate was being picky she would say that the purple washed her skintone out and the cut of the jeans made her look about 15 years older than she probably was. But those wouldn't be very nice things to think or say.

"You never mentioned bringing someone," Cassie eyed Daryl who just stood looking like a startled cat.

" _We_ just decided over breakfast." Kate replied, coming off more territorial than she had planned. There was no 'we', there was simply her and then there was Daryl.

"Ya'll had breakfast?" Charlene confirmed as she pulled the strap of her handbag high up on her shoulder, her eyes darting between Kate and Daryl.

"I er, took her Merle's hangover cure…" Daryl thrust his hands in his pockets and Kate glared at him. _Why did he just tell everyone that?_ This was awkward enough without everyone knowing she was a hungover mess only a few hours ago.

Now, Cassie and Charlene were giving her long once overs before the redhead smiled and turned to the other, "see, he might not look it but Daryl is a real sweetheart. Helping out his little friend an' all..."

Kate opened her mouth to say something, something she would probably regret but she was interrupted by the six foot tall wall of man who stepped on front of her with a bright white smile that crooned, "nice to meet ya ma'am."

"This is my baby brother, Jason," Jim said.

Jason was wearing a blue shirt that matched his bright blue eyes and an actual cowboy hat. He was immaculate, shiny belt and he smelled fresh and citrusy. She held her hand out to shake his and he kissed it, softly as he smiled at her with his eyes like he had just jumped from the front pages of a romance novel. Kate couldn't stop the blush that began to spread like wildfire until she caught sight of Daryl lighting a cigarette and looking like one dirty, angry, redneck.

Kate cleared her throat and pulled her hand from Jason's. _Bloody hell_ , this was uncomfortable. Being here with Daryl was one thing but now she was here with half the cast of Daryl's personal life and that was something bloody else. Although, the redneck looked even more uncomfortable than she did. But then she supposed he deserved it, she didn't want to spend an afternoon with Cassie. She thought about making an excuse to leave when Jason tapped her shoulder.

"Truth or dare…" he said.

"Excuse me?" Kate peeled her eyes from Daryl.

"We can't have fun if we're strangers. Truth or dare," Jason tipped his hat to the side and winked.

Kate bit her lip. _Truth or dare._ When was the last time she had played this? Could she even play this game sober? She looked at Charlene who was encouraging Daryl to join into her conversation with Cassie and let out a small relenting sigh, "truth."

"Hmm let's see," Jason's smile was even wider now as he placed one thumb through his belt loop and swayed back in his boots while he decided what question, "ya ever kissed a man you just met?"

Kate choked on the lemonade she was sipping before she replied "not today," and decided that truth or dare was definitely a game best served drunk.

/

"Wanna ride the Ferris Wheel baby?" Charlene batted her eyelashes at Jim and Daryl's traitorous friend agreed.

"Cassie hates heights, but you'll look after her won't you Daryl?" Charlene glared at him before she smiled sweetly at her blonde friend.

Daryl grunted and took a long drag of his cigarette. Charlene had the power to kick him out of the house, she also had the power to chew his ear off and she never let anything drop so it was difficult to simply abandon Cassie despite that being exactly what he wanted to do. Then there was Jason to think about, the man was happily taking up all of the pretty brunettes attention.

The group began to move towards the Ferris Wheel and like a giant pussy whipped coward he followed behind everyone while he seethed in silence. When the chance to grab hold of Jim arrived he took it, at least he could take some of his rage out on the traitor.

"What ya go an' do that for?" Daryl demanded in a whisper that could hardly convey his full range of emotion.

"What?"

"Jason," Jason with his head full of glossy black curls and the mega watt smile that lured the ladies like a moth to a flame. Jim's baby brother didn't need any goddamn help when it came to women. Ever since he was in highschool the kid had been fighting them off with a stick.

"Don't blame me, you're the dumbass that double booked your damn dates."

"Maybe I should say somethin' to Cassie."

"Are you crazy? Charlene would kill me and you, I don't wanna take a wupping for your dumbshit thinking."

/

Kate watched Charlene and Jim take their place on the ferris wheel first. They were hand in hand and huddled up in the seat together like lovebirds on a first or second date.

Then the ferris wheel moved around and Cassie took her seat while Daryl held back, "I reckon we should switch…" he said to Jason before he looked to her.

"I don't reckon so…" Jason dismissed him before turning to Kate, "what ya think Sugar?"

"Cassie needs you to protect her from the heights. You can't simply abandon her can you Mr Dixon?" said Kate.

Daryl narrowed his eyes before he scratched his chin and backed away. Cassie and Daryl sat at opposing ends of the ferris wheel seat with a generous gap falling flat between them. Kate couldn't help but smirk at the miserable sigh he huffed as he leaned his chin into his hand.

Then it was time for her and Jason. "Ya ever met the Queen?" he grinned as he asked another one of the million questions he'd been grilling her with while they waited in the line.

Kate took her seat on the ferris wheel next to him, knee to knee, "oh yeah, we all have tea with Betsy, it's great fun."

The attendant slammed the safety bar down over their legs and Jason coked his head to the side with a shrewd smirk, "ya get asked that a lot huh?"

Kate smiled, "yeah. I once was asked if I could sing ' a spoonful of sugar'," she recalled the grown man that had requested it in earnest, "Julie Andrews I am not."

Despite her earlier reservations, this was nice. Jason was funny, attractive but best of all was the long, intense looks that Daryl would give her when ever she caught his eye. Like nobody else existed, just the two of them until Charlene would prod him and direct his attention back to Cassie and Kate would laugh at the look that snaked its way around his face. She could probably have saved him from the unwanted attention or insisted that he switched places with jason but part of her wanted to watch him suffer.

"When my brother asked me to come babysit a girl that Daryl had with him... well you ain't what I expected, no siree" Jason winked'

Kate's interest was piqued, "what did you expect?"

Jason laughed and tipped his hat back, "Daryl ain't exactly much of a ladies man, lets leave it at that."

"He isn't?" Kate pried further before she cleared her throat, "a ladies man I mean..."

"Nah. I never see him with chicks."

"Well... he took _Cassie_ on a blind date."

"He'd have to be blind," Jason snorted.

"That's a horrible thing to say."

"Then why'd it make you smile?"

Kate bit her lip and let her face relax before she insisted that "it didn't."

Jason's arm fell along the back of the seat and leaned in close to her before his baby blue eyes studied her face, "you sure do ask a lotta questions about Daryl… you ain't sweet on him are you?"

Kate felt herself flush as she shifted in her seat causing it to sway, "don't be absurd."

"Steady girl, I won't share your secrets" he nudged her arm and she gave him an incredulous look. "Truth is, ya ain't the only one..."

Kate's head whipped around to stare at Jason who gave her a shy smile and it hit her like a confetti canon. Of course he was gay. He was beautiful and more well manicured than she was. Probably why she felt to bloody relaxed around him.

"I won't tell if you won't," Jason promised.

"Nobody knows?" Kate wondered how strange, terrifying and liberating it must be to reveal a part of your very soul to a stranger.

"I think my brother suspects, it ain't the easiest lifestyle choice around here and ya haven't met my parents," the smile dropped from his face for a moment before he nudged her arm, "Ya have a sneaky look about ya so don't let me down."

Kate scoffed, what the hell was the supposed to mean?

"Anyway, ya wanna know about Daryl?" Jason gave her a shrewd look. "His Daddy's a real mean sonofabitch. His brother is an asshole too. We all call Daryl the 'sweet one'. The boys at the bar are always hard on him cos he don't chase tail like they do. Guess he was just waiting on some pretty brown eyes huh?"

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," Kate insisted as their turn on the ferris wheel ended and the attendant lifted the bar.

"Sure ya don't…." Jason wrapped his arm around his shoulder and pulled her closer to him with a conspiratorial wink.

/

Daryl endured another fairground ride with Cassie as his partner. He didn't know what was worse, the uncomfortable feeling of spending time with the blonde or the uncomfortable feeling of the rides. Then he looked at Jason using his thumb to wipe some powdered sugar off the side of Kate's soft, pink lips, that was worse. _Fucking hell_ , that was way fucking worse.

Jim spotted a little shooting game where you had to shoot the little tin ducks and if you hit enough targets you could win a prize. He decided he was going to win Charlene one of the oversized teddy bears on display and he did, first attempt.

Before Daryl could challenge Miss Uppity to a marksman competition Charlene was paying for a turn and handing him the gun.

"Why don't you show Cassie what you're made of?" the redhead winked.

Cassie's puppy dog hazel eyes looked longingly at him and let out a low groan as he brought the sight to his eye. Daryl didn't do as good as Jim since it was hard to concentrate when he could barely take his eyes off Kate and Jason who were sharing a bag of donuts and having a enthusiastic conversation about one thing or another. What they talked about didn't matter but it was the way they talked. Kate was smart, funny, she was the type of person who could hold a conversation about anything and Jason was a fucking nice guy. Daryl missed several shots but still won a little purple pig that Cassie was less than satisfied with.

"Least it won't take up all the room in the bed," he teased with a wink to try and ruffle her feathers. Instead of a cute little bashful smile or a sassy reply Cassie just stared at him like he'd ripped off the pig's head and set it on fire.

Daryl held in the miserable groan that wanted to be released instead he turned his attention back to Kate and her girlish giggle. She was holding a rifle to taker her own turn at shooting the ducks while Jason and the young boy that worked the stand both fawned over her which was no surprise since she looked so fucking sexy.

Cassie started talking about some nonsense and Daryl let her words fade to static as he watched Jason put his arms around Kate to help line up the first few shots. She delighted in every one that they managed to hit and Daryl felt sick with jealousy at the easy way she was laughing with Jim's brother. Together they were having a great time at missing most of the targets and in the end they won the complementary bubble wand which of course delighted them both even more.

 _Fucking Jason, maybe he never liked that kid afterall. Too fucking charming for his own fucking good._

After a few more games their time at the fair was thankfully over. Daryl was going to be more than happy to get in Miss Uppity's Mustang and have her back to himself. More than ever he had realised that the way he felt when he was Kate wasn't something that could be replicated with another woman. She was special and now that he had met her he wasn't sure he could ever settle for anything else. For the first time in his life he started to be think about passports and travelling. England was so far away.

Just as Daryl was breathing his sigh of relief and planning on saying goodbye to Cassie he heard Jason say, "it's still early, ya wanna go bowling Katy?"

"We could play couples teams," Charlene chimed.

Daryl wanted to kill them both. He'd spent long enough watching another man having fun with his woman. He wasn't sure how much longer he could stand it before he smacked Jason and knocked the smile off his chiselled face. Even if he was Jim's baby brother.

"Maybe we should just get goin', ya don't wanna get caught in traffic…" Daryl thought of the first excuse that popped in his head.

"Don't be silly Mr Dixon, it's a Sunday..." Kate patted his back and gave him a gentle nudge towards Cassie. "I bet she loves to bowl as much as she loves your truck."

It occurred to Daryl that Miss Uppity might be fucking with him. But no matter what was going on in her crazy head she would be _his_ at the end of the night. His sex truck was parked outside of her house afterall.

Kate gave him a devilish smile before she jumped into her Mustang with Jason. Daryl lined up his imaginary crossbow before he took the shot to the slamming of the door. He'd have this woman if it goddamn killed him.

"I'm terrible at bowling," Cassie interrupted him and he turned to look at her. She was holding tight to her pig and despite the fact that he'd acted like an asshole, she was still being nice. He wondered why he wanted Kate over her? Was it just looks or something else? Maybe it was because he knew he could never quite have the English woman. Maybe some twisted part of him actually liked that she was leaving. But the second he considered that idea he knew it wasn't true. The idea of her leaving was what kept him up at night.

"Ya'll better ride with us," Charlene shoved Daryl along and he made damn sure to take the seat next to Jim in the front rather than the one next to Cassie in the back.

Now, Daryl sat pulling on his bowling shoes, cursing under his breath. He hated bowling, he hated bowling shoes and he hated listening to Kate and Jason's strategies on how they were going to "kick everyone's ass."

Then he had to sit and watch them high fiving and cheering each other on as they played themselves to the top of the board with a clean win. Kate and Jason, K & J, it even rhymed. Daryl couldn't be more miserable. Biding his time was fucking painful.

Jason picked his "pretty little partner" up and spun her around while Daryl kicked off his shoes with a heavy grunt. Cassie was shitty at bowling and she didn't even care that they had lost. She'd been more interested in the waffle fries and planning some church bake sale. Ordinarily he wasn't bothered about winning but this was _different_. He wanted to beat Jason, he wanted to beat his ass into the fucking ground.

Daryl felt his hand ball into a fist at the sight of Jason giving Kate a quick, friendly hug. The whole goddamn bowling game had been torture. He wanted her big brown eyes looking at him and her cute little giggle laughing with him. He wanted the bowling victory and the bubble wand. Most of all he wanted to kiss her. _Jesus Christ_ , he'd wanted to kiss her so bad. Ever since he'd laid his eyes on her and every day he knew her was only making the want more despertate.

He was done playing this stupid game. What was he doing wasting half the day with Cassie? _Fuck Cassie,_ he was done with being polite. Charlene could turn him out of the house for all he cared. Daryl didn't want to be Cassie's slice of man pie, he wanted to be Kate's cup of tea, hot and steamy with enough caffeine to keep her up all night.

His boots were on and before he knew it he was slipping his hand in Kate's, their fingers intertwining in a perfect fit. _Holy shit,_ what the hell was this woman doing to him? This was the sort of thing a person could only stand once in their life.

Daryl needed to make a move on Miss Uppity before he made himself crazy or some other interruption disturbed them. Lord knows he might kill Jason if the man laid his hand on her one more time. It was only 7pm, it was still light, the sun wouldn't be going down for another couple of hours. The day wasn't over yet.

/

"Let's get outta here," Daryl commanded low and husky.

Kate stared at their hands intertwined and had no chance to say 'yes' or 'no' before he was pulling her outside at a speed just below sprinting.

"What about your _date_?" Kate teased as she tugged her hand from his ironclad grip.

Daryl wiped his hand across his face and let out a pained laugh, "your a real pain in the ass with that shit, ya know that?"

"You only have yourself to blame Mr Dixon," she pulled her keys out from her handbag before she leaned against the back of her car and laughed at him. She couldn't deny she hadn't enjoyed watching him squirm.

"Well I suppose you were gettin' on just fine with Jason…"

"He's a nice guy."

Daryl narrowed his eyes, "he ain't so nice…"

"You're not jealous are you Mr Dixon?" Kate's mouth ran away from her brain and she knew she shouldn't have asked the question. She knew it the second his eyes darkened and something intangible settled in the space between them causing her breath to catch in her throat.

Daryl swallowed down hard, his eyes roving over her and she felt her heart picking up speed. In truth she'd been almost glad of Cassie being there to distract away from moments like this. Moments when they were alone and one intense blue eyed look made her feel completely at his mercy. Why was he so deliciously awkward with Cassie yet had the power to make Kate feel like she was floundering? He edged closer until the toe of his boots were against the toes of her shoes and his gaze lingered on her lips before he looked her in the eye.

Kate's heart was pounding hard and fast, she wanted to look away as much as she wanted to see what he would do next. Daryl leaned in closer and closer until his nose was nudging its way through her fallen strands of hair to where it brushed against the outside of her ear. "Yeah, I am..." he whispered letting the words send tingles down her spine turning her legs to jelly.

 _Bloody hell_ , her whole body was jelly. She felt like she might melt into his arms like Haagen Daz on a summer's day, trying desperately to hold its shape but losing all control under the intense heat.

Kate tried to steady the frantic breaths that seemed to be in a race with her heartbeat. She'd spent the past 18 months building up a wall, brick by brick. Now it was so high she didn't dare look over the top of it. She wasn't sure she would ever be quite ready. She wondered if she looked at Daryl right now he might have the power to punch a hole right through it. So instead of looking at him she stared at the point where their shoes were touching and tried to ignore all thoughts and feelings he was stirring from the tip of her toes to the far recesses of her mind.

"Gimme ya keys," Daryl held his hand under her line of sight.

"Why?" the word came out a whisper.

"Because I ain't finished with ya yet."


	15. Sunday Night

Daryl held the Mustang door open for Kate and gestured for her to be a passenger in her own car. She almost said no but there was something about the way he was looking at her that told her no wasn't an option and she didn't really want it to be.

The car journey started in silence until Daryl helped himself to the radio, tuning it into the local station where the sounds of unfamiliar country music floated out. She hardly knew how to look at Daryl. All she could think about was him admitting that he was jealous and saying "I ain't finished with ya yet". The words played on a loop that she tried to ignore as she pressed her knees together and folded her hands in a lap, sitting as ladylike and as far away from Daryl as possible until they were pulling up outside a single story house with a bright yellow door.

Daryl rested his hand on her seat as he turned to say, "I'll be five minutes, ya can wait 'ere or come inside..."

"I'll wait," Kate needed the time to pull herself together and consider her options.

/

"Alright," Daryl said but really he was thinking 'thank God' as he jumped out of the car and disappeared into the house.

He flicked on the light and hoped that Jim and Charlene weren't going to be home before he managed to come up with a plan and get away.

What the hell was he going to do with Kate?

Daryl looked around the living room for inspiration before his eyes settled on Char's pile of girly magazines. He jumped over the back of the sofa and scrambled to the coffee table to pick the first one up. Maybe there would be a convenient article on 'where woman liked to be taken on romantic dates.'

 _Romantic dates_ , Daryl covered his face with the magazine, "Jesus."

What the hell was Kate turning him into?

He cleared his throat and let the glossy magazine fall open where it may, it was an advert for some women's shit so he flicked to the next page, _Your Vagina's Health_ , "what the fuck?"

Daryl threw the magazine down and lit a cigarette to calm his nerves before he caught sight of the photograph of Charlene that sat on the fireplace mantle. _Fuck_ , she hated smoking in the house so he stubbed it out with a groan. He never had to worry about this shit when he lived with Merle.

He looked at the TV and the row of DVD's that sat neatly just below it. The left side were Charlene's and the right side were Jim's. Daryl crouched down to run his finger along the cases. If there was one thing the redhead liked it was a chick flick. He began to think he should have paid more attention when Jim complained about the dumb sickly sweet plotlines of the movies Char had forced him to watch.

Daryl ran his finger along the spines reading the titles, hoping to get some inspiration but there was none. The only thing that jumped out was Dirty Dancing and that was a definate no go, there was no way in hell he could take a woman dancing. He could _maybe_ dance after several drinks, if there were no witnesses, but that was only a _maybe_.

Then he began to look at Jim's selection, The Deer Hunter, Platoon, Goodfellas, Star Wars, _Star Wars_. Daryl thought about camping trips when he was a kid and stood up. It would have to do. _Fucking hell_ , he needed to get better at this.

/

Kate knew that when people said five minutes they really meant fifteen so that was ample time for her to have a melt down. Being with Daryl was a peculiar mixture of feeling right and wrong at the same time. He was easy to spend time with and in another life she would have enjoyed every minute of it but right now she felt wracked with guilt and a tinge of heartache. As much as she wanted to jump behind the wheel and abandon him she also wanted to stay and see what he was going to do next.

Kate bit her lip as she began to rifle through her purse for her phone. She pressed the button to illuminate the screen and the picture of Harry that had been her wallpaper since before the accident. She hadn't had the heart to change it, even if it did give her a small lump in her throat every time she looked at her phone. She remembered the day it was taken. It had snowed overnight, a light covering that had left a two centimeter film as far as the eye could see. Harry was so excited to build a Snowdog like the one from the 'Snowman and The Snowdog' movie. Still in his pajamas., he'd pulled on his wellies and his gloves before running straight out into the garden without a coat.

Ryan eventually bundled Harry up and then together the three of them had gathered every flake of snow into a pile where they build their very own Snowdog before returning to the house for egg and soldiers followed by a sneaky mince pie since it had been almost christmas afterall. The next morning Harry had been more than a little disappointed that their snowdog hadn't turned into a real puppy like it did in the movie.

Kate scrolled through her contact list which had been embarrassingly underused over the last year. She read through all the names until she landed on her best friend from university, her partner in all sorts of shameless drinking and indecent activities, _Isy_. No matter what time day or night she would pick up the phone.

"Hello Stranger," Isy chimed as she answered on the third ring.

"Hey…" Kate felt a wave of guilt.

"To what do I owe the honor?"

"I'm sorry I don't call more."

"I know you are K," there was a small pause before Isy chirped again, "what you doing? I wish I could be out there with you."

"I'm just…" Kate looked at the door that Daryl had disappeared through. "I'm just sitting in a car."

"Oh god, you're not about to drive off a cliff or something are you?"

"What? Of course i'm not! I'm waiting for a… _friend_."

"A _man_ friend?"

"Yes. He's a man."

"Oh goody" Isy gushed and Kate could almost picture her friends face, the wonky man eating grin and the dark shrewd eyes. "Tell me more..."

"There's nothing more except…" Kate pulled her ponytail over her shoulder and pinched the end between her fingers as she leaned against the seat, "I feel like I'm betraying Ryan and Harry just by being in the car with another man."

"I know you do…" Isy's voice was softer now. "You want the brutal answer or the sugar coated one?"

"You know I don't like to be handled."

"Okay, you loved Harry but he's gone, nothing you do or don't do will change that... You weren't happy with Ryan. You know this, we talked about it, don't make him into a martyr. If you can have fun you should do it. Stop punishing yourself K."

Everything that Isy said was of course true but it didn't make the way Kate felt any easier. In fact her unhappy marriage with Ryan was what made her feel even more wracked with guilt. He'd spent the last years of his life with a woman that didn't really love him. They just went through the motions and she was glad when he was away for work and she didn't have to fake it.

"I'd be more worried about what underwear you're sporting."

" _Isy_."

"Oh come on K, you aren't worried about being _friends_ with a man. You're worried about shagging him."

"Oh god, don't say that."

"Making luurve then."

"I'm regretting making this call."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset your prudish sensibilities."

Kate sighed heavily and let the prude comment slide. Maybe she was a bit of a prude now. "I don't know what he's going to do… I'm seriously considering driving away."

"You're such a drama queen K. Don't run away, enjoy yourself, before you grow cobwebs..."

"Please don't finish that sentence," Kate chastised. "I'm going now."

"Okay, but remember, no love without a glove and K…"

Kate rolled her eyes and died inside a little, "what?"

"I can hear your eye rolling over the phone! You know you love me and I want ALL the details."

 _Details_. Kate should have never called Isy, she hadn't really even been thinking about sex. She'd been worried that he _might_ kiss her and that she might like it. Now she was worried that he might put his hands on her body and she wouldn't have the willpower to resist. She wasn't even sure she wanted to resist. Especially when she saw Daryl emerging from the house with a shy half smile, a giant backpack and what looked like a bundled up leather jacket.

Daryl popped the trunk and threw all the items into the boot while Kate wondered what the hell he had in his backpack that looked big enough to take on a week's hike up a mountain. In fact she wasted no time in asking him as he sat back in the car, "what's in the bag?"

Daryl paused and started the engine then as he pulled off the drive he simply said, "supplies."

"What supplies?"

A smirk crossed his face, "you'll have to wait an' see won't ya…"

Kate leaned back in her seat with a huff. She hated surprises, the wait drove her to distraction.

Luckily she didn't have to wait too long before they were pulling up in a random layby that was surrounded by nothing but wall to wall trees with no end in sight. This had an air of Sex Truck about it and she was hardly that type of girl. Even before she became a prude.

Kate didn't know exactly what she expected, maybe a little bit more civilization since it was getting dark but then she was with Daryl, a redneck mountain man that belonged amongst nature. _Bloody hell_ , how had she ended up out here with a man like this?

Daryl jumped out and around the car before he opened her door and leaned in, "ain't ya comin'?"

"We're here?" she confirmed.

"Soon," Daryl rasped as he leaned even closer to unclip her seatbelt with a soft ping and a roguish smile.

If Kate was going to go anywhere or do anything with him then it was still going to be on her terms, that's what she promised herself. She had to stop melting into a pool of jelly and have some self control. She placed the tip of her finger against his chest and nudged him all the way out of the doorframe before she climbed out and straightened down her cami. "I'm perfectly capable of getting out of a car."

Daryl laughed at her before he retrieved his giant backpack from her boot. Then he handed her the leather jacket. _His_ leather jacket. "Put it on," he commanded as he rifled through his bag.

Kate almost wanted to refuse his jacket. This was getting too much. But then a breeze blew straight through the thin cotton of her clothes and a wave of goosebumps prickled along her skin. Refusal would just be posturing, and achieve nothing except leave her freezing. So she relented, slipping her arms through the sleeves and shrugging it up her shoulders.

Daryl wasn't even looking at her and it was only his jacket touching her body but there was something uncomfortably intimate about being wrapped in the soft worn leather that belonged to him. It smelled just like he did, sandalwood and musk, smoke and leather. She remembered wearing his shirt, this was different, the shirt had been clean, work clothes straight from his locker. This was his personal coat, a layer of him and now she was covered in it.

Daryl pulled his eyes from the backpack to look at her and a smile twitched at the corner of his mouth before he cleared his throat.

"Where are you planning on taking me?"

He stood up, pulled the backpack on his shoulders and looked behind him to the cluster of trees before he turned back at her, his hand outstretched, "there's a nice little clearin'."

"A clearing?" Sounded ominous.

"Yes ma'am'," he raised his eyebrows and stepped forward bringing his outstretched hand even closer.

"Well," Kate looked away trying to avoid holding his hand for the second time in as many hours, "what's so special about this clearing?" The long expanse of nothing but trees, dirt and undergrowth seemed so dark and foreboding now that the sun had started to set. There can't have been anything around for miles and miles.

"Ya always ask so many questions?"

"Do you always lure women into forests?" She teased. Despite the fact that Kate had permanent nervous butterflies fluttering around her stomach she couldn't deny that there was something about Daryl made her feel safe.

Kate wasn't sure but she was almost sure that Daryl blushed before he said, "only you."

Then it was Kate's turn to blush, "I might get eaten by a bear."

Daryl snorted, "I ain't gonna let a bear eat ya"

"Famous last words I'm sure."

/

Daryl scratched his chin and looked his city girl up and down. She wasn't at all what he had ever contemplated when he pictured himself with a woman except for maybe her dark hair. "Ya ever go campin'?"

"You're taking me camping?" Kate looked mildly horrified.

"Not tonight, I'm just askin' if ya ever been?"

"Not exactly."

"Not exactly?"

"I camped at a music festival once." Kate said and he nodded his head encouraging her to continue. "Well it was… not my cup of tea. I like my evenings to include a soft mattress and hot running water."

 _Of course she did._ Although, if she ever spent the night in the wilderness with him she wouldn't be thinking about what they were lying on, that would be for damn sure. "When I was a kid I used to camp up 'ere a lot with my Grandpa, we never been eaten by a bear yet. So I think I can take care of ya on a little hike."

"How little?"

"Jesus woman lets get goin' 'fore the damn sun sets an' starts coming back up…" he went for it, taking her hand and giving her a gentle tug until she relented like he suspected she would. Miss Uppity just liked to dig her heels in first. She was stubborn and suspicious, just like the unbroken horses that used to arrive on the farm. But no matter what, Grandpa Dixon could get even the most willful of beasts to submit to him.

The walk through the forest wasn't too bad, even for a city girl. The trail was fairly flat and straight forward. It was walking back in the dark that was going to be more tricky, but only slightly. Besides, Daryl liked the idea that Kate wouldn't be able to leave without him. In the museum she was like a mountain lion charging around with her claws out but out here she was more like a lost pussycat and he liked the soft pliable side of Miss Uppity as much as he liked the wildcat side.

Daryl also liked her wearing his jacket, he found himself gazing at her more than he was watching the trail and every time he looked he felt his whole body fill with warmth and longing. He wanted to know more about her. It was almost unheard of amongst the people he grew up with not to have spent most of your childhood outdoors, camping and hunting. "Tell me somethin' 'bout when you were a kid..."

"When I was a kid?"

"Yeah, what were you like city girl?"

"Well… I lived in a city, so there was none of this," she held her hands out to indicate the trees.

"That all ya got?" he threw her a bottle of water and she caught it easily before giving him a disapproving look.

"I… er... lived with my Nana and for most of my childhood our house was a tiny flat above a newsagents which belonged to husband number 4," Kate held up four fingers with a wry smile.

"Four husbands?" _Jesus_.

"Five in the end… she was what you would call a hopeless romantic. She used to read me Jane Austen before bed." Kate got a far off look in her eye before returned her gaze to him. "Sometimes I'd pinch a Vimto lolly pop and a stack of magazines from the shop and sit halfway up the stairs, between the shop and the flat, I liked National Geographic… sometimes I'd write little stories and slip them between the pages of the newspapers for people to read."

Kate took a drink of water and ended her story. He wanted her to continue. Never in his life had he wanted to hear all of someone's little stories, the insignificant trivia that made up a person's personality. It was like he had a Kate book and he wanted to fill all the blank pages.

The idea of her living with her Nana made him wonder why not her parents. Then he wondered what the hell Vimto was. Why National Geographic? Why did she study history? What happened to her husband? Why did she marry him?

Some questions would be far easier to ask than others and all of them would have to wait since the clearing they were heading for was right ahead.

"We're here," Daryl said, he knew that during the day it didn't look like much just a patch of wilderness like any other but come nightfall it would be special. He could almost remember the feeling he got the first time his Grandpa brought him here. He couldn't wait to see Kate's face when the stars came out. He hoped that maybe he could catch a bit of that forgotten feeling.

Daryl dropped his backpack in the centre of the clearing and stood up straight, it occurred to him that he was taking a woman for a picnic under the stars. If someone would have suggested the idea a couple of months ago he would have called them a pathetic little pussy. Yet here he was, pulling out a picnic blanket and wondering what kind of flowers were her favourite.

 _Fucking hell,_ he was a pathetic little pussy, thank God Merle wasn't here to see this, he'd never live it down.

/

Kate left Daryl pulling an assortment of things from his mysterious backpack while she snuck away to the ladies. The whole time she was on high bear alert as well as high 'I hope Daryl can't hear me pee' alert'.

When she returned Kate realised that the sun had all but dipped from the sky, letting itself be replaced by a crescent moon and a hazy twilight glow. Daryl had spread a green and blue checkered picnic blanket on the ground in the middle of the clearing and he was sprawled across it with a cigarette dangling carelessly from the corner of his mouth.

 _Bloody hell,_ Kate felt her mouth go dry as she hovered around the treeline, casually turning around to inspect the plant life or anything that a person might inspect if they were interested in that sort of thing.

"Ya already looked at that one," Daryl's gravelly voice gave her a start as she absentmindedly began her second turn of the treeline.

Kate paused and she could almost feel his eyes burning right into her. She was well aware that she was acting ridiculous, weird even.

"What ya doin' anyway?"

"This would be a great place to put a Geocache," she turned to look at him.

"A what?"

"Nothing," Kate took a deep breath and forced herself to cross the clearing to sit with him. She sat at the corner of the blanket with her legs crossed and Daryl's jacket pulled about herself.

"Beer?" Daryl held out a bottle from his bag and she reached for it tentatively. It wasn't just that she didn't like beer it was also because she wasn't so sure she wanted to relax and let her guard any more down than it already was.

Kate took a sip of her beer. Daryl took a sip of his own and stubbed out his cigarette before he scooted along the blanket to make a space which he patted, "lay down."

"What?" her heart went in her throat.

"Ya ain't gonna see much from that angle," Daryl pointed upwards.

Kate tilted her head. "Do you know their names?"

"Just the north star."

Kate lay next to him, one arm tucked under her head and the other lay between them with their fingers a hair's breadth apart.

The flecks of stars were starting to twinkle through the deep midnight blue of the sky. It was mesmerizing as the stars seemed to pop from the sky like popcorn in the microwave, one by one then all at once and suddenly the whole expanse was filled with a million tiny silver pinpricks.

"Why history?" Daryl said and she inclined her head to look at him.

"I don't know… I just always liked it. Thinking about people. Sometimes I wonder…" Kate looked at the stars again, "how many things had to happen at just the right time for us to end up lying on this blanket in this very moment. You know, if you go only 10 generations back in time you'll be looking at over 1000 ancestors. Each of them had to meet at just the right time and survive wars, famines, plagues and a million different things or we would have never been born."

/

"Jesus, that's kind of a mind fuck," Daryl turned to look at Kate, laying next to him, she was so pretty with her big brown eyes glowing brightly in the dim light of the stars and her crazy statistics. But she was right, a million things had aligned to bring her to this clearing with him right now so he shouldn't waste it.

Daryl's hand reached out to touch her, to cup her chin so her lips would be at the perfect angle for him to kiss her. He pictured it, one soft kiss to test her willingness before he scooped her body to his and kissed her how he wanted to. But his hand had barely left his side and Kate was sitting up, stretching out her arms with a yawn followed by a small laugh, "it's getting pretty late."

"Right," Daryl sat up and looked at his watch. How had an entire day with Kate not been long enough? He didn't want to take her home or at least he wanted to stay with her, even if all they did was talk.

 _Fuck that,_ he was done talking.

Daryl stood up as Kate did and as he stepped closer she rolled her shoulders before bending down to pick up the blanket. He appreciated her ass before she straightened up and began folding the blanket with a sleepy smile.

He stared at her for longer than was probably appropriate as he tried to make a move, any sort of move, until he realised he couldn't and looked away. He wasn't Merle. He couldn't just grab a girl and kiss her, could he? He looked at Kate again. She was tightening her ponytail and oblivious. _Shit_ , he began to throw the empty beer bottles into his backpack. He'd fucked it now, he'd had his chance and took it too late.

He tried not to feel too miserable as he found the torch he'd packed for Kate and passed it to her. He should have just fucking kissed her outside of the bowling alley when his leftover Jason rage had been pumping testosterone around his body. At that moment he'd happily done more than a little kiss. He'd wanted to be a gentleman. He grunted, fucking gentleman. If Dixon's were anything it definitely wasn't gentlemen. Then he thought about his Grandpa and remembered that wasn't true.

The whole walk back to the car and the whole drive home Daryl tortured himself and filled with all manner of self doubt until he was passing Kate her keys and she said, "goodnight Mr Dixon."

"G'night…"

Kate turned and hopped up her steps.

"Wait," he said without any intention of what he would continue with. Still, she turned around, her big brown eyes searching his. "Irma wanted me to invite ya to her famous 4th of July picnic… ya know if ya wanna go to that sorta thing…" Shit, 4th of July, she was fucking British. Jesus fuck he was an idiot. "I mean… ya don't have to…"

"I'd like that,"

"Ya would?" He was certain that Irma would be happy to have Kate at her picnic.

"Yeah, why not?."

"Good," Daryl stepped forward onto the first of her five doorsteps.

"Well goodnight… again," Kate hovered on the top step, her keys jingling in her hand.

"My jacket," he realised out loud before regretting saying it. He preferred the idea of her taking it into the house with her, like an emissary in unconquered territories.

Kate's eyes fell to her body, "of course." She turned the key in her door, pushing it open with her knee before she dropped her handbag through the opening. Then she shrugged off his leather jacket and held it out for him to reclaim.

Daryl climbed to step four. The bee's in his stomach were in their usual frenzy. He could do this, he just needed to grow some fucking balls. It was just a simple kiss.

He couldn't take his eyes off her as his hand fumbled for the jacket letting it fall between them. He bent to pick it up at the same time Kate did and narrowly missed smacking his head into hers as he fell backwards. All the way down the four steps with a large bang.

"Bloody hell, are you okay?" Kate exclaimed.

"I'm fine," Daryl tried to act cool as he held the throbbing part of his head. _Fuck_ , _that fucking hurt._

 _Fuck_ , once more he looked like an idiot. His face must have resembled a tomato in its redness. He tried to avoid looking at Kate as he abandoned his jacket, said "see ya" and hightailed it back to his car. That's what he got for trying to be cool, trying to make a move, he was like one of the fucking stooges. Or maybe it was Kate, maybe she threw the damn gravity out of balance so a man couldn't stand on his fucking feet.

At least he'd got her to spend the entire Sunday with him. That would do for now. There was always tomorrow.

* * *

 **A/N** \- thanks for the lovely reviews on my last chapter :)


	16. Week Five

_Monday_

Daryl poured himself a bowl of lucky charms, the delicious sugar filled cereal that had never once graced the Dixon household. He dipped the his spoon in the milk to take his first scoop, and then _thwack_.

"What the fuck?" Daryl shouted as he turned his head to see Charlene with a rolled up newspaper and a look that could kill. She swatted him with the newspaper again before dropping it on the dinner table and heading to the counter to fix herself a coffee.

"That's what you get for abandoning Cassie last night."

"I didn't abandon 'er… she came with _you_ ," Daryl knew better than to poke the beast that was Charlene but enough was enough.

"Ah leave the man alone Char, didn't you see him giving goo goo eyes at little Miss Fancy Pants all damn day?" Jim sat down at the table and winked at Daryl.

"Kate and... Daryl," Charlene half laughed as she poured her coffee.

"Whats wrong with that?" Daryl said trying to sound confident even though deep down he could think of a million reasons why Kate would never be with a man like him.

"She had a Celine purse and a Cartier watch… do ya'll know what something like that costs? Probably more than we all make in a month."

"Well what's that got to do with anything?" Jim backed Daryl up as he gave him a friendly nudge with his elbow.

"I'm just saying, Cassie liked you and she-"

"Jesus Christ Char, give over with that Cassie shit," Daryl stood up. "Ya always complainin' I ain't seein' anyone an' now ya complainin' 'bout the girl I am tryin' to see." He didn't want to talk about this with anyone. He didn't need one of his oldest friends telling him that he wasn't good enough for Kate, a lifetime of acting like Merle and Will had made sure of that.

Even if he was crazy for pursuing Kate, it was too late to worry about that now. Besides, Daryl's pursuit was working. _Sort of._ He grabbed the keys to his truck and headed out the door to ensure he didn't have to stand another second of discussing his love life, or lack thereof. The last thing he needed was Jim reminding him that he hadn't slept with a woman in over a year or that the last time he had anything close to a girlfriend was when he was a teenager.

 _Jesus fuck,_ the mere thought of his incompetence with women was enough to make him want to crawl back into bed. Except that Kate was different. At least he could hold a conversation with her, flirt with her, tease her a little. Daryl pictured her nervous laugh, the blush of her cheeks and felt more marginally better.

As Daryl climbed into his truck his phone started ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket and answered without checking who it was.

"Baby brother, finally pickin' up the phone to ol' Merle."

Daryl let out an agitated sigh, "what ya want now?"

"That ain't no way to talk to yer brother."

Daryl grunted.

"Imma need ya truck for a little job I got goin'."

"What job?" Daryl imagined the worst.

"Ain't nothin' illegal. Me an' Harley got some work doin' some furniture movin' 'cept we only got our bikes. Then Imma help Bo move his old ladies shit outta 'er scabby apartment," Merle let out a big laugh and Daryl sat impatiently while he waited for his brother to finish. "Ya know Bo is movin' 'er in with him? He's one pussy whipped motherfucker."

"How fuckin' long ya plannin' on havin' my truck?"

"I don't fuckin' know… couple days, a week? Long enough so we can get some money together an' buy somethin' bigger… I'm enterprisin'. Ol' Merle's gonna be movin' up in the world."

 _Enterfuckingprising_. Merle and Harley were more likely going to piss any money they made up the wall or enterprise it straight into gear they could sell. Daryl held in his grunt and said, "whatever."

"That a yes then baby brother?"

"Alright," as much as Daryl hated the idea of Merle using his truck, he loved riding the chopper. He arranged a place to meet Merle that meant he didn't have to drive all the way back to his Daddy's and did the handover as pain free as possible which was almost impossible with his fucked up annoying as shit big brother.

He got to work slightly later than planned since he'd had to meet Merle. He'd wanted to arrive early to give him a chance to speak to Kate before the day began but the staff carpark was already full when he pulled in and the Museum doors were minutes from opening for the day.

Daryl headed to the security office to grab his hat and utility belt. Shane was sitting at the monitors with his usual shit eating grin and Daryl nodded at him before he heard the familiar clip clop of heels clattering down the hallway.

Kate turned the corner and his heart skipped a beat. She was so fucking beautiful, _Jesus_. His eyes dropped to her hands and the jacket that was clutched in them before he span on his heel and tried to lean casually against the door frame. The last thing he needed was to fall over again.

"What you got there princess?" Shane stood up and stepped out from the security desk with his usual swagger but Kate stepped straight past him.

"You left it last night," she pressed his jacket into his hands with a smile and Daryl wanted to say something. Say that he'd enjoyed yesterday, or ask her to go to lunch this afternoon but before he could they were interrupted.

" _Last night?"_ the look on Shane's face was so priceless that Daryl could almost forgive the interruption. "It's always the quiet ones…"

Kate stepped away from both men with her usual uppity huff, "why don't you get your mind out of the gutter, Mr Walsh?"

"I can't help myself when I'm around you Princess," Shane laughed as she sashayed away.

"Watch your damn mouth Walsh."

"That might be the most I've heard you fucking say Dixon."

Daryl hardly spoke to Shane if he didn't have to and he didn't have to right now. He grabbed what he needed from his locker and headed off on the morning rounds. Or more precisely, he headed straight for the exhibition hall to find Kate.

When he found her she was deep in conversation with Mr Blake who placed his hand on her lower back and nudged her towards his office. That was the last time he managed to see Kate who then spent the day giving talks to some historical society or some bullshit. Lou had the week off so he wasn't even there to talk to and Daryl realised how much of his day he liked to spend with his new English friends. This security job would be fucking awful when they were gone.

When he made it home he found Jim and Jason sitting in the back garden, drinking a beer and waiting for the BBQ to heat up.

Jim passed him a beer, "lucky for you, Char's at her sisters."

Daryl took a long drink before falling into one of the garden chairs feeling silently pleased. He didn't want to hear Cassie's name for the rest of the evening or ever again.

"Ya spend the night with Katy?" Jason's bright white grin spread easily across his face and Daryl realised he was in for it now. His friends were like dogs with bones when they wanted to be.

"He didn't," Jim replied with a grin to match his brothers. "So, what's your next move Romeo?"

"Jesus, I only just fuckin' sat down! An' I ain't talkin' to ya'll 'bout this shit."

"Come on… what else we gonna talk about?" Jim laughed and poked the BBQ coals with some long metal tongs.

Daryl let out a heavy sigh. Maybe he should get their advice? He was shit on his own. "I asked 'er to Irma's 4th of July picnic."

"Oh some Casanova inviting a British girl to a 4th of July picnic, what ya gonna do throw her on the BBQ?" Jason laughed and Jim did too.

"Shut up," Daryl huffed.

"And it ain't until next week! What else you got?" Jason said.

"That's it." Daryl replied.

"That's it? Don't you wanna get laid before she leaves?" Jim threw three huge steaks onto the grill before twirling his tongs in his hand. "Well?"

Daryl stood up and lit a cigarette. Talking about Kate in this way was making him as uncomfortable as it was horny. _Jesus_ , of course he wanted to have his way with her. He could barely think of anything else. But he hadn't even managed a kiss so anything more seemed impossible. "I dunno if she would."

" _Oh she would_ ," Jason said knowingly and Daryl choked on the breath of smoke he was inhaling.

"Ya think she would?" Daryl eyed Jason with suspicion.

"Lemme have ya phone," Jason held out his hand and Daryl begrudgingly handed over his cell. "I'm gonna text her…"

"What?" Daryl exclaimed.

"Good thinking… butter her up…" Jim chimed as he fussed over the BBQ.

"I'm gonna tell her she has a beautiful voice and your bedroom has great acoustics."

Daryl nodded along until the penny dropped and he growled at Jason, "the fuck ya are! Sounds like somethin' Merle would say." He grabbed for his phone but Jason jumped over the porch railing like some kind of spry fucking lamb.

"Merle would never be so smooth," Jim pointed out in between his laughs.

"Fuck smooth, ya gonna make 'er think I'm an asshole!"

"Why'd ya care what she thinks?" Jason said with a smirk before hitting send and throwing Daryl the phone. He grasped at it desperately as he tried to read the text message.

/

"You're so tanned!" Isy exclaimed as her face popped up on Kate's laptop. True to her word, Isy had arranged for them to skype so she could be filled in on any and all details.

Kate admired the glow of her arms, "It's hot here."

"Oh? _Is it_?" Isy's man eating smirk made its first appearance of the skype call. "Tell me about last night..."

"Nothing happened. Not like that. Daryl took me…" Kate pictured last night and tried to find the words that wouldn't make last night sound utterly romantic, but there was none, "for a picnic under the stars." No matter what way she put it a picnic under the stars was about as romantic as she could imagine.

"A picnic under the stars and not even..." Isy's crude gesture was enough to make Kate squeeze her eyes shut.

"Fucking hell Isy! We didn't even kiss."

"Bloody hell, all that and not one little kiss?" Isy tut tutted.

Unconsciously Kate's fingertip found her lip as she whispered, "no."

"Well, don't make this one fall in love with you. I'm looking forward to having you back, single…" Isy's face fell, "I mean…"

Kate ignored the elephant in Isy's words. The part where she was single because Harry and Ryan were gone. "I know what you meant."

The buzz of Kate's mobile phone caught both women's attention and she grabbed it to see Daryl's name looming large, "he's just texted me."

 **Daryl:** I can't stop thinking about yesterday… I hate losing at bowling.

Kate read the message out loud and her stomach fluttered at the beginning until she laughed at the end. She didn't picture Daryl as the kind of man to send her a text message. In fact he didn't even seem like the kind of man to have a mobile phone and she had never once noticed him checking it.

"He's defiantely keen," Isy's voice floated from her laptop, reminding Kate that she was there. "Or maybe it's not Daryl I need to worry about?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I can see your dreamy expression from here. It's only a fucking text K, not a dozen roses. Please don't tell me you're going to fall for this guy and never come home."

Kate rolled her eyes, "don't be ridiculous. I can't wait to come home. Besides… even if I wanted to stay I couldn't."

"Your job?"

"My visa."

"No time to lose then. Maybe you should ask him to come over right now?"

Kate laughed nervously as her thumb hovered over the tiny keypad. She began to type out a message before quickly deleting it and looking at Isy's eager face. The manic look in her dark eyes gave Kate stage fright, "I'll call you later."

Before Isy could finish the word, "wait," Kate closed the laptop and threw it down on the sofa along with her phone.

Then she made a cup of tea. Did she want to text back? _Yes_ , of course she bloody did. She'd been more disappointed than she would ever admit when he hadn't kissed her like she feared he would. She typed out a message and pressed send before she could second guess herself.

 **Kate:** Are you suggesting a rematch?

Her phone beeped back instantaneously and she hesitated before looking at the message.

 **Daryl:** Tomorrow night?

Tomorrow Lou was taking her for dinner to meet the old school friend he had staying with him for the week.

 **Kate:** I'm busy tomorrow.

 **Daryl:** Wednesday then.

Kate paused, she didn't want to seem too keen even if she her phone chimed again.

 **Daryl:** Ever been on a motorcycle?

 _A motorcycle._ She ran her fingertips through her hair and imagined herself holding tight to Daryl as he sped along the road.

 **Kate:** No.

 **Daryl:** Make sure you wear boots and I'll pick you up Wednesday at 7.

Kate scoffed, that was rather presumptive of him.

 **Kate:** I didn't say yes.

 **Daryl:** You were gonna ;)

Kate's breath caught and she melted into the sofa with her cup of tea clutched in one hand and her phone clutched in the other. The stubborn part of her wanted to say 'no I wasn't' but the other part of her couldn't stop staring at the winky face which seemed so unlike the redneck security guard.

She took a sip of tea and bit her lip. _Another date with Daryl._ There was really no way she could deny it, and part of her wished he was picking her up right now.

* * *

AN- Thank you for reading. Sorry that my updates aren't as often as they used to be but I'm self employed and my work has tripled recently so I'm just super busy.


	17. Until Tomorrow

_Tuesday Evening_

Not speaking to Kate at work hadn't felt as bad today since he knew that he was going to be spending tomorrow evening with her. The whole evening all to himself. Jesus, the anticipation alone was enough to kill him which was why he had decided to head over to Dale and Irma's for a distraction and if he was lucky, some supper.

It didn't help his worrying that Jason had suggested another dreaded bowling game with his first text but then Daryl supposed he was happy to do just about anything with Kate. But that was the last of Jason's help he was going to accept. He still felt weird about the winking face he'd let the man convince him to add to his last text. He should have never listened to that piece of advice. Dixon's didn't do smiley faces. Although that wasn't exactly true, he had put that smiley face on Kate's waffle. He shook his head at himself, focusing instead on the road instead of worrying about smiley faces and acting like the biggest fucking pansy that he'd ever met.

Daryl had already been, tail between his legs, to the farm to apologise for storming out when Dale had told him he was selling the place. But he hadn't returned since then. Deep down he was still pissed that they were leaving or if he was really honest he was just heartbroken. Either way, riding up the familiar driveway and seeing the farmhouse growing in the distance was more painful than ever before. He usually had a pang of sadness that the place wasn't his but now the sadness felt more like having a big brick thrown at his stomach and it wasn't just for the farm, it was for Irma.

Daryl pulled up behind Dale's truck and climbed off the chopper. It was still light outside and he looked across the miles of empty fields before removing his helmet and swallowing the lump in his throat. He knocked lightly at the faded porch door, crumbling away some of the peeling white paint, another job that Dale never got around to fixing.

"What you knocking for?" Irma chastised as she swung the door open, letting out the homey smell of her cooking.

"I dunno," Daryl shrugged, he knew he didn't have to, maybe he was just preparing himself for when this house would belong to someone else and he wouldn't be welcome in it. Irma embraced him in one of her comforting, all encompassing hugs and he didn't resist. He let the hug happen, resting his head on her shoulder and thinking that she always smelled like lemons, but not in a way that was tart and sour. She smelled of lemons in a way that was sweet and it reminded him of the little melt in the mouth cookies she sometimes baked.

"You're just in time for dinner," Irma said, letting him go and beckoning him to follow her to the kitchen. She added an extra place setting at the little yellow formica table, insisting that he, "sit down."

Daryl did as he was told. There was no way that Irma would let a guest lift a finger if she didn't ask them too. She was a real southern lady and Dale always said he struck gold the day she agreed to marry him.

As soon as Daryl tucked himself into the table the back door blew open, brining in Dale and a hot summer breeze. The old man took of his hat, setting it on the side, "evening Daryl."

It had only been a couple of weeks since Daryl had last seen the man but he looked older. There were more lines on his face and his eyes were a little harder. It might have been Irma that was ill but it was her husband that looked sick. He kicked himself for being so damn selfish, these people were like his family and they didn't owe him anything, "ya need me to do any jobs while I'm 'ere?"

"I'd be grateful if you could take Ace for a ride," Dale sat at the table and mopped the thin layer of perspiration from his brow with a embroidered hanky that he pulled from his pocket. "I can't handle him like you can."

Irma served a pile of fried chicken cutlets, sweet potato mash and buttery green beans. He helped himself to a smaller portion than usual and pushed his food around on his plate. He wanted to ask if anyone had put an offer in on the farm but he didn't know if he could say it or talk about it while keeping a cool head. The mere thought of never sitting in this kitchen again filled him with dread. But he needed to know, "ya had any bites?"

"For the farm?" Dale said and Daryl nodded. "Not a single one. There's a lot of land for sale around these parts, lot of choice for folk." Dale sighed and Irma took her husband's hand in hers, kissing the back of it as if she was reminding him that she loved him no matter what happened.

"Sorry to hear it," Daryl said and he meant it, he wanted the Horvath's to be happy despite himself. "I wish I could help ya'll."

"We know you do," Irma plastered a smile across her face, gathered some plates and stood up, "how about a slice of cake?"

Daryl leaned back in his chair and patted his tummy, "I'm alright."

"What happened to your sweet tooth? You never turn down cake…"

His sweet tooth was salivating at the thought of a slice of rma's cake but another part of him had its sights set on Kate. The woman was in great shape so he couldn't afford to get sloppy. He didn't want to worry about _any_ soft bits that weren't hers, if they ever got to that. "Actually ya remindin' me… ya think its okay if I bring Kate along on Monday?"

"To the picnic?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Why of course it is," Irma's hands flew in the air and she sauntered over to him placing them either side of his shoulders and giving him a small squeeze. "I think that will be just fine Daryl… and don't forget to tell her about my little baking competition. You don't want her to show up empty handed when all the other ladies will be bringing something."

"I will."

Irma stayed holding onto his shoulders and smiling at him like she was waiting for him to tell her the secrets of the universe. In fact he knew exactly what Irma probably wanted to talk about since she was one of the biggest damn gossipers he'd ever met. "I'll go see to Ace," Daryl said and Irma pouted like he suspected she might.

"I'll wrap up some cake for you. Just in case you change your mind. Will you be needing one slice… or _two_?"

 _Two_ , one for him and one for Miss Uppity. Daryl took the bait since he knew it would make Irma happy. "I recon Kate might like a slice on the side of her tea tomorrow."

"Well of course she would," Irma shuffled him along and set to finding some tupperware for her cake.

Daryl stepped outside and before he shut the kitchen door he heard Irma telling Dale, "what did I tell you about those two."

He laughed under his breath and could hardly keep the stupid smile off his face as he walked to the stables. He liked that Irma saw something between himself and Miss Uppity. Unlike Charlene she thought that Kate and him were a good match. It made him realise he wasn't just imagining it.

The female horses all walked to the ends of their boxes to greet him and he stroked Duchess first since she was his favorite. "Sorry girl, I ain't brought my lady friend today," he said before fussing over Peaches and Cream, all the while feeling guilty that he had a favourite. Then feeling stupid that he felt guilty. Damn horses had no fucking idea.

Then he was Ace's turn, but he didn't want to be fussed over. Instead the big black horse snorted angrily and stamped his foot.

"You're one mean son of a bitch ain't ya?"

Daryl opened up the stable door to let Ace out but the horse refused to budge. Fucking stubborn, Daryl grunted and decided to grab a handful of food to lure him out but the second his back was turned the damn beast bolted like a bat out of hell.

"Fuck," he dropped the handful of food and followed Ace into the locked paddock. "What's ya next goddamn plan?" he said in soothing tones, "don't ya know that Dale ain't ever gonna put ya to stud cos ya so damn difficult, ya only bring it on yerself." As soon as Daryl got close, Ace moved away. So instead of chasing him, he picked up the saddle and took a seat on the fence to wait for the horse to make up its mind. It took longer than Daryl wanted to admit but eventually Ace was saddled and they were heading out. All he could think was thank god the horse had cooperated on the day that he'd had Kate with him.

He decided to take the same trail he'd taken Kate on and even if they didn't necessarily need to stop he stopped to water Ace anyway. He finished tying the horse to the tree before he turned around and saw the engraved heart. He told himself that he hadn't stopped here to see it, instead he ignored it, not giving it a second look as he walked past.

Before he knew it, Daryl had walked all the way to Fort Dixon where he sat under the tree that held it, his knees bent with his elbows resting on them. He had this horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. It had started as he rode Ace down the trail and began to think of a million different things. Being at the fort was making things worse.

He lit a cigarette, the familiar click of his lighter and breathing in the hot smoke made him wonder when he had ever even started smoking. He couldn't remember. It had been so long ago and it hadn't felt like a big deal even though it probably should have done. In fact, he couldn't remember his first drink either. Nothing in his life had ever felt special enough to commit to memory. It was all just one long blur.

He looked up to the Fort and pictured the long blur of several memories that were all jumbled up, except for one. The most recent. Kate, picking the tiny stick out of her hair and another unclaimed kiss. Then he thought about the first time he saw her. Angry brown eyes, her finger pointing in his face, she was such a fucking bitch. Daryl laughed at the memory and took a long drag of his cigarette. He probably wouldn't have looked at her ever again except that she was so goddamn beautiful. Like a venus fucking fly trap and he was the sorry ass fly that stood no damn chance of escaping.

Soon, Jim and Charlene would be married, having children and starting a new chapter of their life that didn't involve a bachelor friend living in the only spare room of the house. Dale and Irma were also starting a new chapter, even if it would only be a short one. Soon they would leave for their travels and when they did he might never see the old lady again. Merle and Will were unreliable and nothing but trouble even if they were family. When Kate was gone he was going to have nothing that was truly his, she wasn't even his. All he had was his shitty truck and his shitty job that he didn't even like. He suddenly felt very old.

It was getting late and even if he didn't feel like moving he had to take Ace back to the farm. In truth he would rather climb into his treehouse and spend the night there. Or maybe he could go to Joe's and find some trouble, see how Merle's enterprising was going.

 _No_ , tomorrow he would make Kate his instead of just fucking giving up and giving in to Merle like he always did. That's what had gotten him into this mess, the wrong side of thirty five with not a damn thing to show for it. He stubbed his cigarette out against the tree and put the end back in his pocket.

/

Kate paid the cab driver before she turned to inspect the restaurant that Lou had picked for dinner. It was his usual choice, french and expensive, it looked nice enough even if it wasn't her preference.

The sound of a motorcycle roaring beside her made her jump and her hand flew to her heart before she span around to see the rider. He wore a plain black helmet which obscured his face and for the briefest moment her breath caught and she wondered what if… Until he revealed his shaggy blonde hair which he ran his fingers though and waved to his friends over the road.

Kate laughed at herself and held her hand over her face. Why on Earth she had thought it might be Daryl she had no idea, except that she had spent most of the evening getting ready for dinner with Lou, but thinking about tomorrow's adventure with her redneck date. .

The greeter at the door asked for her reservation before he escorted her to Lou's table. Her old friend was already seated as was his guest. Kate hadn't ever met the man who had been staying with Lou for a few days. But Lou was the kind of man who made everyone feel like his best friend and it was hard to keep up with his many acquaintances. He always had guests over at his house for weekends, dinners, parties and everything in between.

Lou stood up beaming his usual smile, prompting the man seated across from him to stand too. She couldn't see his face only his dark hair and the back of his pale blue shirt. "This is Doctor Baxter Templeton," Lou announced as she stepped up to the table. Kate tried not to act shocked as she saw the man's face, she was expecting him to be Lou's age, but he was not. He was much younger even if he did have the smallest trace of grey hair creeping into the hairline at his temples. The thick rimmed glasses he wore and his angular jaw made her think of Clark Kent.

"And This is Doctor Kate Ashwood," Lou smiled even though he knew the prefix made her inner working class cringe. It reminded her of Ryan's mother and her wealthy circle of pretentious friends. They never had a nice word to say about the type of people who she had grown up with and raised her. Like her Nana, who'd left school at 14 to work in a Mill and had never earned a penny over minimum wage.

"Please call me Bax," he removed his glasses before extending his hand and leaning close enough for her to see the grey of his eyes, not dull like concrete but bright like polished steel.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she took his hand.

Lou pulled out her chair and instructed her to, "sit," before he resumed his place at the table and ordered a bottle of wine from the waitress.

"Forgive me, but I thought you said Bax was an _old_ University friend…." Kate narrowed her eyes and looked from the man sitting across from her at the table to Lou.

"No no, I said he's the _son_ of my old friend."

"I like to think you'll find my company far more tolerable than my fathers," Bax smiled making the corner of his eyes crinkle as Lou laughed in agreement.

"Aye, your father was a particular vintage."

"So, how long have you known Lou?" Bax said.

"Around eight or nine years…" when she considered it, "a long time."

The waitress returned with the wine and Lou tasted it before she poured them all a glass. As much as Kate liked to drink wine she didn't know anything about it, not like Lou who even had a wine cellar in his big house.

"Aye," Lou patted her hand, "I'm glad you joined us tonight."

That was when Kate realised something. Ordinarily she would have turned down a dinner invitation like this. A dinner invitation that didn't involve just her and Lou, "thank you for inviting me," she said but really she was thinking 'thank you for still inviting me and putting up with all my bloody shit.'

"It was actually me who insisted on meeting you," Baxter said.

"Oh," Kate took a sip of wine and a paused dragged out as they stared at each other. "Well aren't you going to tell me why?"

"Of course," Baxter laughed and cleared his throat, "come September you and I will be colleagues."

"Bax lectures in Art History," Lou interjected, his face popping up from the huge leather bound menu.

"Art?" Kate picked up her own menu, "I confess it's not my strong suit," which was her polite way of saying she had no interest in it whatsoever.

"Well you must come along to one of my lectures then," Bax pulled his black rimmed glasses from the table and before he began to study his own menu.

"Perhaps,"

In a way Kate felt very pleased that she now had an acquaintance for when she started her new job. Somewhere in the back of her mind the idea of being the new girl again, making friends again seemed as impossible as it was terrifying. She had no idea who she was going to fair without Lou to ease her in. He'd become a crutch for her this past year when she had struggled to be anything more than a stoic recluse. But now she was out at dinner, going to fairs and behaving more like herself but if she thought about it, most of that was down to Daryl who had somehow managed to drag her from wherever she had been hiding.

Daryl had welcomed her into his comfortable little world which he managed to fill with all manner of mini adventures. The treehouse, her first horseback ride, the moonlit picnic and tomorrow her first motorcycle ride.

Kate took another sip of her wine and thought about texting Daryl. She wanted to say something but was uncertain what it was. Except that she wished he was at this table with her right now because every time she was with him he made it feel exciting, even if it was her first waffle house waffle, her first corn dog or her first Chick-fil-A.

Kate wondered if she could give Daryl a first until she remembered he'd never left Georgia. Maybe she could take him to another state and claim his first holiday for herself, until she wondered why she was even wondering about taking him on holiday. She was running away with herself. She couldn't take him on holiday. If this was going to be anything it could only be a fling.

By the time Kate said goodnight to Lou and Bax she had enjoyed more than her fair share of wine and an Old Fashioned which left her feeling pleasantly tipsy. Her good mood also afforded her cab driver a generous tip before she carefully stepped out of the car, trying her best not to 'do a Daryl' and fall on her head. The spot where Daryl had landed gave her a small giggle as she hurried up the steps and flung open the door.

She dropped her keys on the hall table before kicking off her shoes and losing half a foot of height. Then she flopped onto her sofa, letting her handbag fall to the floor next to her head with a heavy clunk. Maybe it was because the house seemed so bare with its clean line and lack of colour, or perhaps because it was difficult to feel at home in any of the rentals she had stayed in over the past year but Kate suddenly very alone. She couldn't bare it.

She grabbed the strap of her handbag and gathered it to her so she could unzip the top and find her phone. Calling Isy would have been sensible. Instead she called Daryl. The phone rang and she let her handbag fall back to the floor.

 _What am I doing?_ Just as Kate came to her senses and decided to hang up, Daryl answered.

"Kate?" his husky voice sounded just as good over the phone as it did when he was with her. But she said nothing. She froze, silent and motionless until she hung up.

"Stupid," she rolled onto her stomach, squishing her face against the cushion and shaking her head. What was she thinking calling him like that? As if seeing Daryl every single day wasn't enough. Except they had barely spoken today or yesterday and she couldn't stop thinking about him.

Her phone began to ring. _Shit_. Kate sat up, kneeling on the backs of her ankles in the middle of her sofa as she stared at his name on the screen. _Well, what did you fucking expect?_ The annoying ringtone chimed relentlessly before she silenced it with a, "hello."

"Ya rang me?"

Kate wanted to say 'no' but she hated to outright lie, "yes, sorry."

"Ya okay?"

"I'm fine. It was an..." Kate cleared her throat, a little white lie never hurt anyone, " _accident_."

"What ya doin'?"

She leaned back onto the sofa and rested her head on the cushion, "nothing… I just got back from dinner with Lou. You?"

"I just got back from Irma and Dale's, she packed ya a piece of cake."

"She did?" Kate imagined the scenario, "what kind of cake?"

"Carrot. I might eat it, I'm gettin' kinda hungry an' it smells so damn good."

"You can't eat my cake!"

"Ya ain't 'ere to stop me."

There was a long pause and it was filled with Kate wondering if she should ask him to bring her the cake or suggest that she goes to collect it from him.

Instead she said nothing and Daryl began to speak again, "by the way I forgot to tell ya that Irma host's a baking competition for fourth of July an' she says ya have to bring somethin' along."

"She does?" Kate pulled a face, "what kind of baking?"

"I dunno… normal stuff. Charlene's gonna make a caramel apple pie."

 _Jesus fucking christ._ The idea of baking was bad enough on its own but the sound of Charlene's name made her immediately think of Cassie. Would she be at the picnic? Kate imagined the other women laying out their perfectly baked creations and rolled her eyes. "Okay." She'd figure something out, she'd rode a horse, she could bake a bloody cake. Besides, she wasn't going to be outdone by anyone, especially Cassie and Charlene.

/

Daryl shut his bedroom door. He'd been out in the garden when Kate called and although he'd been alone he knew that Charlene or Jim could have joined him outside at any minute and he didn't want them eavesdropping on his conversation. Or more to the point, he didn't want them to tease him about something he said and make him spend the rest of the evening worrying about it.

"Ya know," Daryl imagined Kate baking in a cute little apron and her hair in a ponytail, "caramel apple pie is Jim's favourite."

"Are you hinting at something there?"

Daryl smiled, Charlene was making Jim's favorite pie and Irma was baking Dale's favourite cookies although most things Irma cooked up were everyone's favorite. "I'm just sayin'," Daryl plumped up his pillow, lay back on his bed and toed off his boots.

"You'll get what you're given Mr Dixon."

Daryl snorted, "yes ma'am." Miss Uppity would never be the sweet southern farmers wife like Irma who woke up extra early every morning to make Dale's breakfast and iron his shirt.

"Well... I'll see you tomorrow," Kate said.

"Yeah," Daryl tried to think of a valid reason why she had to stay on the phone but all he could think to say was, "Goodnight."

"Until tomorrow Mr Dixon," and then she was gone.

Daryl placed the phone on his nightstand and stared at it for the longest time before he drifted off to sleep.


	18. Date Night

8 Weeks In Georgia Chapter 18

 _Wednesday Evening_

The doorbell rang. Daryl was here. Kate had only just finished applying her coat of lipstick which was the final step in getting ready. She stared at her face in the mirror, smoothing out any errant hairs. This was it. Ready or not she was going out for an evening with a man, whether she called it a date or something else.

Her heart was thudding dramatically in her chest all the way to the front door where she stopped at her little entry table to spray herself with perfume, remembering the way he had looked at her only days before when she had done the same action in his company. Kate convinced herself that she was nervous because the idea of riding on the back of a motorcycle reminded her of the squashed possum she'd jumped over on her morning jog instead of the man waiting on the other side of the door. She didn't want to believe that any man could turn her into a feeble, wordless, jittery mess. Still, her heart beat a nervous tune right up until the very moment she opened the door where instead of racing it all but stopped.

"Good evenin' Ma'am," Daryl's voice rolled the word ma'am easily, almost seductively, preventing her heart to even think about picking up a normal rhythm.

"Good evening," Kate's words were no more than a whisper as he stepped back allowing her to join him on the perilous steps of her house.

Daryl was wearing black jeans that had long faded to a softer shade of charcoal and a black t-shirt that was partially obscured by his leather jacket. The same leather jacket she had spent an evening in. Kate laughed under her breath as she turned to lock the door. She was wearing an almost identical outfit to him except where his t-shirt was black her shirt was green.

 _Bloody hell_ , she decided as she followed him down the steps, coming face to face with the terrifying pile of metal and wheels that was waiting for her. Kate tried to let the small bubbling fizz of excitement fill her top to toe but the fear was more flood than fizz and it was winning over making her feel palm sweatingly sick.

She stepped past Daryl and ran her fingers over the seat which was still warm from his journey to her house. It was probably far too late to change her mind about any of this. "Can I tell you a secret?" she said, wrapping her arms around herself as some form of protection before she turned to look at Daryl.

His dark blue gaze that was as intense and unnerving as ever, never shifting from her as he said, "sure."

She licked her lips and reconsidered admitting the following information to him. God she hated to admit she was shitting herself, terrified even. Yet she wanted to say something, the smallest hint, the tip of the iceberg, "I'm a little… unsure… about this."

Daryl stepped forward, his eyes soft yet serious as his fingers found the very tips of her hair. He held a strand, running his thumb over it before he smiled, confident and completely reassuring, "I won't let anythin' bad happen to ya."

Of course he wouldn't. For a second Kate had the unthinkable urge to press her cheek against his chest and see what it was like to be held in his arms, to see if they felt as safe as they looked. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been held like that or if she'd _ever_ been held like that. She almost got her wish as he stepped closer, one arm reaching behind her, bathing her in the musky scent of his skin for the briefest of moments until he retrieved what was hidden behind her.

Daryl held out a little pink helmet for her approval, although he didn't wait for her to say anything before he was slipping it on her head. Kate stood motionless, her hands hanging uselessly at her sides as she let him fasten the straps she could have fastened herself. All she could think about was the way his fingers brushed against her neck, sending shivers along her spine until the sharp click of the strap ended his gentle touches.

When he stepped back she lifted her hands to the shiny helmet, she hadn't thought about this part and she was kicking herself for even caring but she found herself saying, "do I look ridiculous?"

/

Daryl couldn't imagine a time when he'd think Kate would look ridiculous. Even when she was a hungover mess he was still attracted to her. Lord knows what that said about him but dirty, clean, made up or not he wanted her just as badly.

"Never," he promised before he pulled on his own black helmet. He'd borrowed Kate's from Charlene who had finally forgiven him for the Cassie mess and even ironed his t-shirt before his _big date_.

 _His big date_ , he pushed away thoughts of messing things up and once more wished that their date didn't have to involve bowling shoes. Maybe it didn't. Maybe all he had to do was open his mouth and say something. "Can I tell _you_ a secret?" Daryl said, watching her eyes flick from the bike to him.

"Of course."

"I hate bowlin'."

Kate laughed and cocked her head to the side as she considered him for a moment, "why on earth are you taking me then?"

"I dunno… I just…" Daryl scratched his chin and cleared his throat, "I wanted to spend time with ya."

"Let's do something else then."

"Alright," that was easy. Just like that. Maybe he was getting better at this dating shit. Daryl decided that he would think of something while they were on the road.

"But first…" Daryl gestured to the bike, which was to him the main event of this evening. At least the main event that he could plan for.

Kate bit her soft kissable lip, drawing his attention to it. He often thought, especially when he was alone, about the tips of his own teeth giving that very lip a gentle tug, paving the way for his tongue to explore her mouth.

Daryl ran his hand over his own mouth, brushing away his lust filled thoughts and instead focused on the moment he was in rather than the kissing fantasy he had planned for later. He rolled his shoulders, climbed easily onto the motorcycle and looked at Kate. She was rooted to the pavement, a cautious look on her face and just as he had done with Ace he waited for her to come to him.

Eventually he actually saw the change in her face, the submission, as if she was thinking 'just do it'. She let out a light sigh and stepped forward, taking his hand, letting him hold her steady as she kicked her leg over the seat with exactly the kind of finesse he expected. From the way Kate walked in her high heels to the way she carefully tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, there was something graceful and ladylike about how she carried herself which was what made her so intoxicating to watch like every more was part of some kind of dance.

He turned his head to look at her, she was all nervous wide eyes and sitting too far back. Luckily for Daryl, Kate had to get closer than was probably considered appropriate for a first or second date. Not that Daryl cared about what was appropriate, "I ain't gonna bite ya."

Kate glanced down at the space between them with a light as air laugh, before she gingerly reached forward to place her hands on his body.

Daryl braced himself for her touch as he felt all nerve endings firing up. It wasn't everyday that somebody put their hands on him, even when he was intimate with a woman he didn't usually let them touch anything above his waist. Kate's hands landed on his shoulders. Her touch was soft but firm as she shuffle along the seat, bringing her body to his.

 _Jesus_ , he tried to remember to breathe but something as filling his lungs and releasing them seemed impossible. He was all sensation. All he could think about was the feel of her thighs as they wrapped flush around the backs of his and the feel of her hands slowly slipping from his shoulders, along his shoulder blades, and down his back until they sat lightly on his waist.

Daryl looked down to her hands and cleared his throat, trying to regain the power of speech, "ya gonna have to hold tighter…"

"Like this?" Kate whispered, gripping his waist a little more.

Daryl noticed that his hands were gripping the motorcycle handles so tight that his knuckles had turned to porcelain. _Stop being so fucking weird, she's just a fucking woman, a soft, sexy woman that has her body wrapped around yours_ , Daryl tried to calm himself down and failed miserably.

Instead, he took one head clearing big breath and released his vice like grip of the handles. Without much thought, he picked up both of Kate's hands, pulled them all the way around himself and savoured every second of it. "Like this," he whispered before he let her go, hoping she would keep him in her tight embrace.

She did and it was so fucking nice. Daryl could feel the rise and fall of her soft chest that coincided with the light hot breeze she was blowing onto his neck, setting his whole body on fire.

He'd thought that riding with her on this motorcycle was a genius idea, a way to get her close to him. Now he wasn't sure how the fuck he was going to concentrate on the road when his mind and body was completely elsewhere. He couldn't think about anything but the way Kate was holding him and the way it made him feel. The buzz of bees, the tingle of anticipation and the satisfying warmth. He'd never really understood why people liked to hold each other, why women sometimes asked if he wanted to stay the night and cuddle with them. Cuddling had always been the very last thing on his mind after he had just fucked some random chick. He couldn't wait to get the fuck away as quickly as possible. But right now, he felt like he could stay in her arms for the rest of the night and longer.

"Have you changed your mind?" Kate's voice filled his ear in a breathy whisper.

"What?"

"We're not moving…"

"I was just… thinkin'... 'bout where to go…" Daryl covered for himself while wondering just how long they had sat there while basked in her.

He needed to pull himself together. What the hell was this woman doing to him? The engine roared to life and Kate gripped him even tighter than before. _Sweet Jesus._ He'd be lucky if he made it through the damn night.

/

The motorcycle felt out of control, speeds of 50 miles an hour felt like one hundred and all Kate could do was keep holding on and try not to worry that she was gripping him so tight that he couldn't breathe. She pressed her face against Daryl's back, her nose brushing against the leather as she squeezed her eyes shut. It somehow felt safer when she couldn't see the world whipping by. Instead she left all control in Daryl's hands rather than anticipating every twist and turn of the road.

Still, despite it all there was something addictive about the heart pounding terror of racing down the road that made her feel a little disappointed when they were pulling up outside their apparent destination.

 _Lynette's Bar and Grill._

Quite like horseback riding the motorcycle left Kate's thighs hot, sore and more than ready for a reprieve. Which she got the taste of the second she slipped of the bike and stretched out her legs. Her eyes glanced quickly to Daryl's crotch while she wondered how he managed to ride around all day.

"What did ya think of ya first ride?"

Kate wondered for a moment if he had caught her looking but he hadn't, thank god. "It was very fast."

"It's like driving, ya get used to it."

Daryl was probably right. Kate still remembered her first driving lesson, the little red Vauxhall Corsa, her middle aged balding instructor and the feeling that she was going to spin out of control until she noticed the speedometer was ticking nicely at 22 miles per hour. She didn't remember the moment when driving the speed limit had felt akin to walking but at first it had felt more like flying a rocket.

She unclipped her helmet and pulled it off her head before shaking out her hair and praying to God that it wasn't too misshapen. Daryl didn't give her any funny looks so she assumed the best. He hung their helmets off the bike before gesturing to the bar and hopping in front of her to get the door like a gentleman.

The floor of Lynette's was polished cherry wood that glistened so brightly that it might have doubled as a mirror in broad daylight but instead it was only semi reflective in the dim but cosy low hanging lights that littered the ceiling. On one side there was a long, fully stocked bar next to which there was an open hatch that gave a peek a poo preview of Lynette's grill. The tables and booths were cherry to match the floor and in the center of each was a red cut glass candle holder complete with a tea light flickering in the centre. Evergreen walls were covered in a mishmash of photographs and memorabilia from a pair of drumsticks to old licence plates. Past the tables and the mishmash of patrons who were tucking into their dinners she could see the bright green felt of two pool tables and the bright yellow glow of a jukebox that played its songs low and comfortable with the hubbub of voices that filled the atmosphere.

A man bustled between them, knocking against Daryl's shoulder before stopping to inspect them both, "hey Daryl, sorry man, didn't see you there… "Ma'am..." he said to Kate before running his fingers along his handlebar moustache, paving the way for a wide grin.

"Don't worry 'bout it," Daryl insisted and the conversation ended as quickly as it had began when the man nodded before turning to find the party of people he was looking for.

"You come here often?" Kate asked.

"There ain't many places to go 'round 'ere."

Dale's farm and the places that surrounded it was what she assumed he meant by that. The area, which she didn't know the name of, was his childhood home and he seemed to draw back to it like a moth to a flame, showing her all the places he knew like the back of his hand.

"An' I didn't think it would hurt much to save a little face 'round town… they can at least think I tamed the girl that made a damn fool outta me."

The roguish look on his face made her blush a little as she remembered dousing him in beer, "I don't know what your talking about Mr Dixon. "

He began to drop his jacket from his shoulders, shaking his head with a small chuckle, "ya like to play pool?"

"I love to."

Daryl let out what sounded like a sigh of relief before he asked, "is coke okay for ya? Probably best ya don't drink an' ride," he licked his lips and his eyes narrowed, "ya might get too _relaxed_."

"Right," what was he trying to do? Remind her of every stupid and weird thing she had done since knowing him? "Diet coke…" she took off her jacket and smiled her nice as pie smile, "I'm quite sweet enough."

Daryl smirked, considering her statement as he began to dig through his pockets, "ya wanna pick a song?" he nodded to the jukebox which he must have noticed her looking at, before passing her a handful of coins.

"Any requests?"

"Whatever ya want _sweetheart_."

 _Sweetheart_. Kate tried to pretend she hadn't heard it, except that she had and it had turned her to mush. A blushing, girlish, ridiculous mush. _Bloody hell_ , she wasn't sure how much more of this she could take before the nervous butterflies tore her apart like a supernova.

She left him to fetch the drinks and made her way to the pool tables, threw her jacket over the back of a chair, put the money in the jukebox and was still flicking through the endless options when Daryl joined her.

Daryl's hand rested on her hip as he leaned over her shoulder, his body close to hers but not quite touching as he looked at the songs, "big decision…" he teased to make sure the butterflies were still aflutter.

"Actually… would you believe I've never chosen a song on a jukebox before."

"You're so weird," he laughed like she'd said a joke that only he knew about. "Don't ya have anythin' in England?"

"We have them," she gave him a pointed look, "I've just never used one… which is sort of crazy since I love Grease… the movie I mean... and this makes me feel like I've stepped into it."

"I never saw it."

"You've never seen Grease?" Kate looked at him again, shaking her head with mock disgust, "oh my… I'm not sure we can be friends anymore Mr Dixon."

"Says the woman who's never used a jukebox."

She laughed and keyed in the code for her very cheesy first jukebox song in honor of Grease and her much younger self that had watched the movie about a million times before realising what 'bun in the oven' or the terrifying 'it broke' meant. But as soon as the song started up she quickly realised she had entered the wrong code.

Kate's cheeks were not just hot but burning red as The Platters announced _Only You_ to Daryl and the rest of the bar. Maybe she was being paranoid but she felt like all eyes were on them now which only added to the distinct need for her to look at the floor, a stray chair, the wall, anything that wasn't another person.

/

 _Only you_ , for a split second Daryl thought she was trying to send him a message but then she turned around and could barely look at him.

 _Maybe not._

"Interestin' choice."

"Perhaps I should stay away from jukeboxes…"

"Ain't so bad…" Kate was so beautifully embarrassed and like the ying to his yang he felt a wave of confidence. He knew everyone in Lynette's and he knew the sight of him with a woman would have been strange enough on its own, "least now everyone knows ya 'ere with me…"

He wanted to add 'as his girl' but instead he just looked at her and tried to ignore the sissy ass lyrics that seemed to sing to the tune of his stomach full of bees. Being here with Kate, the chance to talk to her, touch her, maybe even kiss her, really was like a dream come true. A daydream, one he had invented ever since she had first clattered into the Museum.

Luckily the song was only a couple of minutes long so the strange limbo it seemed to lock them in was quickly released when another song came on.

/

Kate pushed her musical faux pas to the far recesses of her mind and joined Daryl at the nearest pool table where their drinks were sitting side by side along the edge.

He passed her a cue and then he began to rack up the balls while Kate's eyes wandered around the bar until they landed on the place they had intended, Daryl's firm behind. Staring at him like he was a piece of meat felt wrong, shameful even, yet at the same time she didn't intend to stop. She sipped her coke and enjoyed the flex of his shoulders under his t-shirt and the light little grunt he made when he knocked his knee against the corner of the table. Kate could have sworn she was never such a bloody pervert before but then it had been such a long time since she had opportunity or inclination.

A woman with cherry red hair approached the table, momentarily blocking Kate's view and reminding her she was in public. The woman leaned against the edge, right next to Daryl, her tiny dress riding up higher than was decent. She had a waitress's apron tied around her waist, the tip of a notebook sticking out of one of the deep pockets. "Hey baby," she gave the back of Daryl's leg a light kick with the toe of her shoe, "your big brother comin' here tonight?"

"Jesus…" Daryl grunted before he looked to Kate, "I sure hope not…"

"Well, you'll tell him I was asking for him won't you."

"Ya could do better than Merle, Cherry."

 _A name to match her hair._

"You're too hard on him… he's got his good parts," then she laughed and cocked her head to Kate, "at least one good part, you know what I mean honey..." Cherry's eyes dropped to Daryl's crotch with an approving nod and a slow seductive smile.

"Cherry please…" Daryl was turning as red as her hair and Kate bit back the ridiculous giggle that wanted to erupt from her mouth.

"Ya'll want anythin' else to drink?" Cherry checked, "ya prefer a bottle wine or a pitcher of beer to take a shower in..."

Daryl rubbed his hand over his face and shook his head, "ya weren't even there…"

Cherry laughed before pointing to the man who had crashed into them earlier, "Bob gave me ten dollars just to come an' rib on ya'll…."

Bob was laughing, as were his group of friends. Kate covered her mouth with her hand, stifling her laugh but it was useless. Daryl could see her giggles and he wasn't mad which made her feel guilty, he was taking it so nicely even though he was probably never going to live it down whereas she would be leaving and never have to face these people again. But the idea made her feel more sad than it did relieved.

There was something sort of nice about Daryl's little world that revolved around the kind of places where everyone knew your name. And where everyone knew she had poured a pitcher of beer over his head.

"I sure as shit learned my lesson never to piss ya off ever again..." Daryl's words were more playful than scolding.

/

"You can break," Kate said sweetly as Daryl reached for the cue ball. It occurred to him that, like Charlene, she might be a terrible pool player. Then it occurred to him that he could use that idea to his advantage.

"Ya wanna make a wager?"

She leaned her head against her cue, a smile prying at her lips, "you're sure you want to do that?"

 _Was he sure?_ Daryl rested his hands on the pool table, looking Miss Uppity up and down, getting the measure of her. She was wearing tight black jeans and an olive green chiffon shirt with the buttons undone to just where he could catch a glimpse of black lace. He was sure. "That sounds like fightin' talk."

"Maybe…" Kate raised one eyebrow, picked up a piece of chalk, twirling it between her fingers before she threw it underarm towards him.

Daryl caught the little cube with one hand then ran the chalk over the end of the cue while he wondered what exactly the stakes should be. There was no damn way she would be better than him at pool. _No way._ Which meant there was no way he was going to miss out on a golden opportunity to get the woman where he wanted her.

"If I win..." Daryl remembered laying out under the stars with her, "ya have to come campin' with me."

Kate let out a surprised laugh, "you mean spend the night with you?"

Daryl's throat felt dry, this conversation had gone into dangerous territories but there was something seductive about the look in Kate's eyes and the way her long glossy hair tumbled over her shoulder as she leaned against her cue, emphasizing the curve of her waist. "I only got one tent."

"I suppose you only have one sleeping bag too?"

"Ya won't need one, it'll be so damn hot in that tent…" he took a sip of his coke and enjoyed the slight flush of Kate's cheeks before saying, "we are in Georgia afterall."

"And what if I win…" she stepped closer, "what shall I make you do?" Kate tapped his shoulder with her cue before she looked him up and down, her brown eyes playful and a little wild.

"Whatever ya want..."

"Whatever… I… want…" she circled him like a shark waiting to take its first bite

"When I win…" she smiled, a slow knowing smile, a smile that made him feel slightly nervous about this little wager, "you have to get a tattoo."

"A tattoo?"

"Of _my_ choosing."

"What the hell kinda tattoo?"

"I don't know… maybe a fluffy pink bunny."

Damn she was good, she was also pretty fucking pleased with herself. He should have thought of that, he kicked himself. "I recon I should change my bet, make ya get a damn tattoo, my name," his finger ran carelessly across her soft skin just below her collarbone causing her to let out a light gasp, "right there."

"Too late," Kate's fingers wrapped partway around his wrist, removing his touch from her skin. "You've already set your stakes… besides... I wouldn't let you choose my first tattoo," she dropped his wrist and poked his arm at the place where the hint of a dragon was sneaking out of the sleeve, "and you've already got one."

"I have more than one…" he said and watched her big brown eyes fall to his body as if she might be able to see through his clothes.

"One more won't hurt then will it."

"It might… if it's some pansy ass rabbit."

Kate bit the smile on her lips and stepped around the table, dragging her cue behind her, "well, have we got a wager or not Mr Dixon?"

 _Shit,_ Daryl thought to himself. If he backed out now he would look like a pussy, but there was no way he was gonna lose. Of course she had a deal, he'd have said yes to anything if it meant the chance of bundling her into the middle of the wilderness for the entire night with him, "yes ma'am… but don't expect me to go easy on ya..."

"I wouldn't expect anything less, Mr Dixon."

He was chalked and ready, he leaned over the table and was just about to make his first move when the unthinkable happened.

"Baby brother," Merle's voice boomed.


	19. Pool

"Sparky," Daryl's big brother stood in front of Kate. A wicked grin slapped across his face, two of his friends flanking him like henchmen. She let the nickname slide, it wasn't entirely offensive and if you learn one thing when you raise a child it's when to pick your battles.

"Merle?" she tested the name, remembering his hangover cure and the cherry red waitress.

"Well well, ya already know my name, now tell ol' Merle whats a pretty little thing like you doin' 'ere with the _wrong_ Dixon?"

She laughed or maybe it was more of a gasp, "the wrong Dixon?"

By now Daryl had all but jumped over the pool table to take her side, the smell of his skin swamped her as he stood so close that she could feel the rise and fall of his chest against her arm.

"Why have the junior version when ya can have the full size?"

"You think much of yourself… _old man_..." Kate folded her arms, she had the strong urge to defend the younger Dixon, "perhaps too much."

Merle laughed, a cocky, lopsided laugh and his eyes were a little more dangerous, "old man? Ya hear that boys. I could lay it all out right now if ya want…" he gestured to the zipper of his trousers.

"Please don't." _Good god,_ if she had met both Dixon men separately then she would have never guessed they were brothers. Merle was loud, brash, quite frankly a pig, the complete opposite to Daryl.

/

"Why don't ya fuckin' grow up?" Daryl wrapped one had around Kate's waist and pulled her closer to him. He wondered if they should just leave before his dickhead brother managed to frighten Miss Uppity away for good.

"Woo wee, ya grown a pair now you're rollin' around in the sack with a nice piece of ass?" Merle's voice was at its usual level, which meant it shouted over everyone else and attracted the attention of anything with ears.

Daryl felt the accompanying shame and discomfort that surrounded most conversations with Merle. He could barely even look at Kate, he didn't want to see distaste in her big brown eyes. "It ain't like that," Daryl fucking hated his brother sometimes.

"Ooo," Merle's voice was high, ladylike and laced with ridicule, " _It ain't like that_ … what's it like then Darylina?"

"You're interrupting our game..." Kate poked the end of her cue into the centre of Merle's chest, knocking him back a couple of steps and capturing his attention before she glided past. No man, especially Merle, could not watch this woman as she sashaying around the pool table, lips pursed, a mischievous glow in her eyes, "and I intend to win our little wager Daryl Dixon."

"What little wager?" Merle said, now completely distracted like a cat chasing after a laser pen. Except he was a horny motherfucker chasing a beautiful woman.

"It's a secret…" she leaned against her cue in the way that had got him into making wagers with her in the first place.

Merle's eyes were all but popping out of their tired old sockets and for a second Daryl wondered if that was how he looked at her, hanging off every word that fell cool, crisp and enunciated from her soft, kissable lips

"Well… Daryl…" Kate smiled, just for him, "are you going to take your shot or keep me waiting?"

 _Hell yeah_ , he was going to give this woman his best fucking shot. Merle could fuck off with his bullshit, this woman was here with him, "yes ma'am, an' I'm gonna enjoy takin' my reward too," he winked.

Merle whooped and Kate straightened up from her sexy pose, "we'll see."

Daryl's cue struck the white ball, sending it hurdling, scattering the bright little triangle into 15 pieces that shot out at all angles until one tumbled into the left corner pocket. _Stripes_.

 _1:0_

He sucked in a relieved breath, so far so good. Then one glance at Kate sent a fresh wave of nerves beating his heart like the patter of a rainstorm on a tin roof. He moved around the table to take his next shot, one eye on Merle and his dipshit companions. Why couldn't his brother just take the hint and fuck off? Daryl couldn't have a single fucking thing that wasn't tainted by either that fucker or his Daddy. Except Miss Uppity wasn't exactly being tainted, she was surprisingly unfazed, her face lit up with a smile, her big brown eyes soft and both of them all for him. _Jesus_ , there was something about the way she looked at him that made him feel nervous and relaxed.

/

"That 'uns Harley an' the other's Bo…" Merle pointed to his friends before announcing, "Imma take a leak."

 _Nice_. Kate glanced at Daryl once more and he rolled his eyes playfully before concentrating on the table.

Harley was over six feet tall, broad, clad in black but unlike Daryl who wore the colour faded and well loved, the black that covered Harley was like the wings of a raven matched perfectly with his long dark bedraggled hair that made her think about the grim reaper. He sat awkwardly on the edge of the pool table, blocking Kate's view of Daryl, bringing his face at a level with hers, she could see the bulge in his nose where it had been broken and reset more than once, a thin scar that sliced one eyebrow in two equal halves, his eyes were the colour of cognac and his voice was surprisingly soft spoken as he asked, "wanna drink?"

Kate smiled, "thank you for offering but I already have one."

A flicker of something crossed his well worn features, she might have thought it was disappointment except she didn't know him at all.

"You Daryl's girl then? That's a real waste..." Bo was fair, blonde hair mixed with a heavy dusting of grey, he was small, weedy, opposite to Harley in all ways. He rolled up a cigarette, licking the edge suggestively before putting the end in his mouth. The zippo he used to light the end had been modified to spark a flame that was bigger than his hand. "I recon Daryl don't know his dick from his ass."

"Take that outside," a woman's voice called from the bar.

"Come on Lynette… it's just a little roll up…"

"I don't care if it's a goddamn lifesaving medicine there is _no_ smoking in my bar!"

Bo rolled the cigarette along his lips, his eyebrows giving a playful waggle and she could tell he didn't want to do as he had been asked, especially because she was watching him, but he did. Bo let out a little huff, genuflected towards Lynette and crashed out of the heavy door of the bar like a good boy.

"Bo has a girlfriend," Harley tattled.

"Lucky girl…" Kate noticed Daryl had missed his next shot as it jumped over the pocket.

"My turn," she said gleefully, taking her position at the table, leaning forward and catching the look he gave her cleavage, it was a split second glance but it was enough to make her cheeks fill red and her palms felt clammy. She took a deep breath, she needed to pick herself out of the girlish goop that Daryl melted her into and show the man who was boss.

"Did I ever mention that my Nan's fifth husband was a professional snooker player?" She scanned her option's, like a game of chess one move led to the next and you had to be thoughtful. She made her decision, lining up her first shot, cue ball clicking against the blue spotted ball sending it flying across the table, sinking into its destination with a spin.

 _1:1_

"No Ma'am… ya did _not_ mention that…"

"I'm not saying I'm an expert but…" in went another one and she was feeling cooler now, more in control. "I once hustled my uncle out of 50 quid."

 _1:2_

Daryl's eyes went wide, " _you…._ hustled someone?"

Kate caught his eye and smiled. When people wanted to make a bet in the student union bar she was hardly going to turn it down. If she thought about it she was hustling Daryl right now. In went another.

 _1:3_

/

Kate's next shot came devastatingly close but missed causing her to let out a soft huff before biting her lip, her eyes flicked to his, narrowing as if in a dare, 'see if you can beat me.'

Daryl could only try and not look too relieved that he was going to get at least one more turn at the table, he at least wanted to appear that he thought he could win. _Hell_ , he _still_ could win. Yeah she was good, she was surprisingly fucking good but she was also psyching him out.

His eyes scanned over the balls, he was fucked, he walked around the table and knew he was definitely fucked. There was nothing available to him, not even any manly dignity since Merle was back with two shots of what looked like bourbon, "ya always were a cheap motherfucker," he shouted to Daryl as he grabbed Kate's coke and handed her the liquor.

"No thank you," the sound of Kate declining Merles drink gave Daryl a satisfied smile even if his turn at the table was all for nothing.

Kate potted two more, bam, bam.

 _Fucking hell._

 _1:5_

By now Merle and his friends were taking a more keen interest in this game. All he could do was take it like a fucking champ since the other option would be to ask her to let him win or employ some kind of distraction techniques to either A outright cheat or B make her falter. He imagined running his hand up the inside of her thigh as she hit the cue ball but that idea remained strictly in his head rather than his fingertips as another ball sank into the depths of the pockets.

 _1:6_

Kate took a step back from the table, she had one more ball to pot and then the black. A fact obviously not lost on her as she sauntered over, pretty as can be, big eyes sparkling, "regretting this now Mr Dixon?"

"I underestimated ya…" he looked her up and down. If there was one thing he knew about Kate it was that she was the competitive sort, she hated to be helped, she hated to lose and there was probably not much chance she would make a big gamble if she thought she wouldn't be successful. "It won't happen again," he told himself as well as Kate before swiping the little cube of chalk on the end of her cue, "now go put me outta my goddamn misery."

"I could let you..." she cocked her head, "save a little face if you like?"

"Are ya crazy woman? Go kick my damn ass fair an' square."

She bit the grin on her lip before spinning on her heel. _Goddamn woman,_ offering to throw the game, as if she wasn't demasculating him enough right now. Good lord, she would be the one to wear the trousers no matter how great she looked in a skirt.

There was at least one small mercy to this damn game and Daryl enjoyed it as Kate sank her last spotted ball into one of the middle pockets. _Fucking hell_ , there was nothing bad about watching this woman bending over a pool table. In fact he could quite happily lose to her all night. Right now, he was watching her ass bending in those skin tight jeans. Before, when she was on the opposite side he enjoyed a nice view of her other assets. Thank god for the man who invented this game, he wondered if this is what the person had in mind, bars, drinking and lots of bending over. Kate had an ass for pool that was for damn sure.

It was over quickly, quicker than it had been for him to come up with the wager, he kissed goodbye to a night in the woods but only momentarily. The triumphant look in her eye as she looked over her shoulder to gloat filled him with a certainty that he would get this ball breaking woman in his tent, one way or another.

Merle downed the last of his beer and pointed the empty bottle at Daryl "ya gotta stop havin' ya ass handed to ya by Sparky, yer a goddamn embarrassment on the Dixon name."

"I ain't embarrassed, the woman can fuckin' play better than anyone I ever met… includin' you," he grinned at Merle then at Kate. Maybe he had lost but he was proud of her. Who would have thought Miss Uppity would clean up a game like that? And right now in this bar, with him, she was his girl and all her good qualities were rubbing off on him making him feel a little shinier.

"My turn girlie," Merle demanded, snatching the cue from Daryl's hand and pointing his finger at Kate. "Wanna make a wager with me?"

Kate looked at him and it took him a while to realise she was waiting for his permission although that wouldn't exactly be the right word since she wasn't the type of woman that needed permission for anything. Still, Merle wanted to play with her and before saying 'yes' she wanted his opinion and he was certain if he had shook his head she would have declined his brother but instead he said yes. Not only was he happy to watch her play another game for his own perverted reasons but it would hurt for Merle to have, as he had so delicately put it, 'his

ass handed to him.'

Before the game began Kate excused herself to go to the ladies which gave Daryl ample opportunity to pull his brother aside. "Be nice, I fuckin' mean it, she ain't some trash so don't fuck this up."

"What ya talkin' 'bout?" Merle said with a grin that meant he knew exactly what Daryl was talking about.

"I actually like this woman," he let out a sharp breath "alright! I said it. _I like 'er_. Don't be an asshole."

"Well shit Darylina. Ya _like_ 'er? What the fuck's that 'pose to mean? Ya plannin' on tyin' a fuckin' knot?"

"Fuckin' hell, this is our first goddamn date, it's bad enough you're here with dumb an' dumber but Jesus... Don't go fuckin' mentionin' tying fuckin' knots." Daryl's insides were churning now, he pictured Merle saying the word 'marriage' or 'brother in law' to Kate, who had, at least in Daryl's imagination, reluctantly agreed to go on _one_ night out.

 _What the hell was wrong with everyone?_ Irma, Jim, Merle. The second he was mentioning this woman's name they were all jumping straight to the ball and chain as if it was so completely bizarre that he was interested in a woman, that it meant he must want to marry her. Forget dating, forget fucking, just kneeling, proposing, walking down the aisle, honest woman making.

As much as he liked Kate, certainly more than he had ever liked a woman, he wasn't thinking about committing himself for life. _Good lord_ , she drove him crazy enough already and he wasn't exactly the marrying type.

"I won't mention nothin'... but now we're talkin'... ya owe me," Merle took the bottle of beer that Harley offered but his eyes never left Daryl.

"Owe what?"

"Imma 'ere to spend a little time with Cherry an' I see you an' Sparky have gone to town on my little stash."

Daryl sighed heavily, "what the hell ya talkin' 'bout?"

"The rubbers I had in ya truck."

Daryl's face blanched and he looked over his shoulders towards the ladies bathroom. Those fucking condoms were going to haunt him. They had already caused enough trouble for him. Merle could fuck off, "ain't my problem."

"It is ya problem baby brother 'less ya want me askin' littlest princess to buy me a packet from the ladies?"

"Get some from the fuckin' mens."

"Machine broke an' like I said… ya owe me…"

"You're a fuckin'..." Daryl ate the rest of his words and balled his fist. He had a condom. Of course he had a condom. He was on a date with a beautiful woman and like all good boy scouts he was fully prepared. Except Daryl was never a boy scout, he would have got the shit kicked out of him for even considering joining something like that.

He pulled his wallet from the pocket of his jacket while checking once more for signs of Kate then he handed Merle the happy ending to his evening, "I hope it splits in two asshole."

"Thank ya Darylina, I'll remember that next time ya needin' some help from ya big brother."

"Maybe in another fuckin' life," he grunted. Oh well, at least now he would have to be a gentleman which in a way he kind of preferred. He didn't like Kate because she was easy he liked her because she was Kate and he knew exactly how crazy that sounded. Even to himself he knew how crazy he sounded.


	20. Victory

Kate should have been leaving the ladies bathroom. Her hands were washed, twice, and bone dry under the hand dryer yet she remained. The idea of opening the door and facing Merle once more was undesirable to put it lightly. It wasn't like she had never encountered loud mouth arseholes before, only nowadays they never usually had cause to talk to her. Then there was the embarrassed look on Daryl's face whenever his brother opened his mouth, that look was almost worst than Merle himself. Partly because she felt bad for him and partly because she had a distinct understanding of what it felt like to have a family member like Merle.

Kate's parents weren't proud when she was the first one in her family to go to university, when she got her first job or when she passed her driving test. They didn't turn up to the netball games, her graduation or the nativity play even when she got to be Mary. The only time she remembered them being there was when she accidentally conceived Harry when she was 21. But it wasn't exactly support they offered, it was more of a satisfied nod as if now she was in the club, one of them. Like screwing up and ruining her life had somehow made her more relatable. She never really spoke to them now.

Lynette had come out of the bathroom stall and washed her hands in the time that Kate had hovered around like a lost puppy. "Don't pay no mind to Merle."

"Excuse me?" Kate looked to the other woman. Lynette had caramel coloured hair piled high on her head, high arched brows and sharp cheekbones that gave her a shrewd look.

"Merle Dixon…" she pulled a tube of lipstick from the pocket of her jeans and ran the sheer watermelon red over her pout, "you don't need to be hiding from him in here."

"I'm not… hiding... I'm just," Kate tuck her hair behind her ear and Lynette raised one perfectly plucked eyebrow, "okay, I'm avoiding…"

"Merle's probably just plumb jealous his little brother has something he don't… or won't ever have and I'm not just talking about half a brain in his melon," Lynette laughed and fixed her hair in the mirror. "Now I have owned and run this bar for 20 years and I don't think I have ever seen Daryl Dixon smile… but he sure smiles when he looks at you honey… in fact every man in this grill has had a little look at you… pretty as you are, strange as you are to be in this little backwater town. I reckon Merle can go to hell in a handcart and if you want me to find cause to kick that old bastard out you just say the word honey," Lynette gave Kate's arse a gentle slap as she walked past still fixing at her larger than life hair, "oh and if you're ever looking for work I reckon you would look mighty cute in a pair of shorts working behind my bar."

Kate laughed under her breath while imagining telling Lou that she was going to give up her life to serve french fries and beer in some middle of nowhere redneck town. But Lynette was right. She couldn't hide away from Merle, Bo and Harley all night. She followed the other woman to the bar and let her eyes inspect all the other patrons before she regarded herself. Did she really look out of place here? Not that belonging here really mattered.

"So what ya wanna bet with ol' Merle?" he crooned snapping Kate from her daydream.

"Fifty dollars..." she looked him up and down, "if you can afford it."

Merle sniggered, "fifty bucks ain't no fun, how 'bout a little kiss?"

"A kiss? I thought you said it had to be something fun?" she retrieved her cue from its resting place against the wall.

Daryl's cough covered up his laugh but not enough that she didn't hear it, making her smile and the butterflies flutter happily.

Merle licked his lips, stepping so close to Kate that she could smell the faded musk of cheap cologne, "I reckon ya might like it-"

Kate interrupted him "I will give you 100 dollars if you can beat me... If you can't," her eyes flicked to Daryl, "then you have to apologies for interrupting our evening..." she closed any remaining space between her and Merle, "and acting like a huge twat".

Harley and Bo whooped and Merle's expression was unreadable.

Kate stepped away, around the table to safety. He might have made her uncomfortable with his vulgar comments but she wasn't going to stand for his shit. In fact she teased him again, "if you're too scared old man… we don't have to play."

That flicked the switch in Merle's head as a wide grin covered his face and any uncertainty he had about the wager, "we'll flip a coin see who gets to go first…."

/

Kate beat Merle. That was all Daryl needed to know. In between listening all about his _enterfuckinprising_ she whooped him good _._ His brother even had the audacity to offer to cut her in 15% if she wanted to give him some "seed money."

 _Fucking hell._ You couldn't take Merle anywhere. He was like a child, an obnoxious foul mouthed child. As soon as the eight ball was off the table and the game was officially over, all Daryl wanted to do was grab his date and have her back to himself. But first he could do a little gloating, he couldn't help the shit eating grin that filled his face. It was damn good to see his big brother get knocked off his high horse for a fucking change. Even Bo and Harley were laughing at Merle.

"So what do you have to say for yourself Merle Dixon?" Kate spoke to his brother like he was a little kid which only made the whole thing sweeter.

"Sorry," the word came out mumbled and inaudible.

"What was that?" Kate's hand went to her ear, " I beat you fair and square. I want my reward and I don't want it half arsed."

"I recon it was rigged…" Merle decided like a big baby.

"Rigged? I've never even been here before." Miss Uppity wasn't going to let him get away with anything.

"Yeah well ya know…" he pointed to one of the pockets, "curve in the table… an' ya got the good cue," he took a shot of bourbon, "and gravity."

"Gravity?" Kate laughed before teasing him, "what goes up must come down?... they best clear the entire town when your ego decides to come crashing back to Earth."

"Sparky's gonna eat ya alive baby brother… better you than me…" Merle slammed his empty shot glass down on the pool table and scurried over to his friends. Half assed apologies were about all Merle could manage, Daryl was surprised he had even managed that.

He reached for Kate's cue, his fingers wrapping around it as he slid it from her grasp, "good game Miss Winning Streak…" the name made her smile, "ya hungry?"

"Peckish."

 _Peckish_ , damn the way she talked was so cute. Daryl placed his hand on the small of Kate's back to guide her to take a seat, his head turning to look behind him at Merle as he mouthed the words, "leave us alone."

Merle held out his hands, his grin wide, his brow furrowed, his best impersonation of a man who genuinely didn't know he was an asshole, "what?" he elongated the word but Daryl ignored it.

They took a seat in one of the cosy leather lined booths and Kate glanced at the menu before asking Daryl what he liked to get from here. The best thing to eat at the grill were the BBQ ribs and when Cherry came over, pad in hand, they decided to order a portion to split as well as another drink.

"Do you prefer bunnies or kitties?" Kate inquired, her chin resting in her palm, the glow of the tea light dancing across the wicked look on her face.

"What?" Daryl cocked his head and stared at her in confusion.

"My prize."

 _Shit_. Daryl's throat went dry as he studied her evil grin. He had to believe that she wouldn't be so cruel. "I like both so long as they ain't tattooed on my ass." He'd almost forgot about _his_ little wager with Miss Uppity.

"Is that where you want it?"

He scratched at his stubble while he considered her sitting by watching him get a tattoo, "I have a choice?"

"Not really, you're at my mercy now Mr Dixon."

 _Jesus_ , the thought excited him more than anything else. "You're a nice girl, I ain't too worried."

Her evil grin widened further, "I'm not _that_ nice."

Daryl kind of wanted some details, instead he cleared his throat and the drinks arrived with a soft clink as Cherry set them on the table.

Kate twirled the straw around the glass, mixing together the ice and the slice of lemon with the coke before she took a small sip, "maybe you should show me your other ones..." her eyes met his.

"An' what will ya show me?"

Kate's gaze fell to her lap, her mouth dropping open with a half laugh.

Wait a minute, was the woman actually speechless? Then she looked at him again, "I won the bet, I don't have to show you _anything_."

Daryl inadvertently pressed his hand to the tattoo on his chest then the sick feeling sunk in, the feeling of taking off his shirt and letting Kate see what was underneath, what was on his back. What would she think? Would she recoil? Would she make him tell her all about how he got the scars that ran like scorched earth along his skin?

"I'm gonna…" he held up his packet of cigarettes and headed outside for one even though he really didn't need it. All this time he had been chasing her, imagining his fingers over every inch of her body and the idea had seemed so unrealistic that he had never given a thought to his own nudity if the moment ever arrived.

It wasn't just the ugly way that the mottled flesh looked, it was more the way she was going to look at them and look at him, like he was a victim. He was a man and that meant something to Daryl. It meant he was suppose to be strong, powerful, have the ability to defend himself and his woman. The scars on his back betrayed all of that, he didn't want her to see him as weak. He kicked a rock across the parking lot and let out a miserable grunt.

When he headed back into the bar the big bowl of ribs had arrived, piled high in a sticky BBQ mountain that reminded him of the flintstones. Kate was staring at her phone, a smile on her lips as she typed out a message. He wanted to ask who she was texting but realised that the question was probably as possessive as it sounded in his head.

Luckily she offered the information freely, "Lou helped me make a new friend…." Kate picked up a rib before settling it on the little white plate in front of her, "I'll be working with him in September."

Daryl folded his fingers together, his elbows digging into the cherry wood table as he pressed his balled up fist against his mouth, covering up the miserable grunt that slipped out. _September_. It was late June now. It would be July when her work at the museum finished. He wondered what she would do between those months and then he wondered if she could stay with him.

"These smell delicious," Kate breathed in the sticky sweet goodness of the BBQ coating before taking a ladylike bite.

Her phone buzzed two loud vibrations against the table, she didn't react but Daryl did, his eyes landed on the brightly lit screen to see the name 'Bax' and a message, " _I look forward to it."_

 _Shit_. _Who the hell was Bax?_ Any nervousness Daryl had been feeling about his body was now slipping away, just like when he had spent the afternoon watching Jason laying his hands all over her. Chasing after Kate was certainly keeping him on his toes, the second he relaxed she might get snatched away like a rug being pulled beneath his feet. "When do ya wanna claim ya victory… er... prize?"

"Tonight?"

 _Tonight, Jesus._ He maybe would have done it except then he wouldn't have an excuse to take her out again. "How 'bout Saturday? I might even let ya buy me a drink or two before ya mark me up for life."

A slow smile spread across her face, "I see what you did there Mr Dixon."

"That a yeah?"

She licked the sauce that had clung to the corner of her lip, "yes."

Daryl smiled, satisfied and took a big sticky bite of a rib as Kate carried on eating in her own delicate way, napkin at the ready. He hoped that a few drinks would make him feel more at ease about what was on his back plus he couldn't deny that he hadn't enjoyed the truck ride with her crazy drunken side.

When the ribs were finally dwindled to a pile of bones sitting in a pool of sauce Kate went to go wash her hands unlike Daryl who was happy to lick himself clean like a mangy tom cat. He watched her walk away. The sway of her hips, the bob of her hair, all soft and womanly before feeling the sharp, hard, dig of Bo's elbow jabbing into his rib cage as Merle and his friends descended on the table.

"I got a little somethin' to spice up your night…" Bo held out a packet and before Daryl could comprehend the contents of the bag he grabbed the other man's hand and closed his fingers into a fist to contain his offering.

"I don't need ya shit… What the fuck's wrong with ya'll?" Daryl looked over his shoulder, hoping that nobody had seen.

"Come on man… I ain't saying slip it into her drink… but I gotta say when Debbie takes one of these she's… she's like a fucking animal."

Harley thumped Bo across the back, "don't trust him man, last time I took some of his shit I ended up with a stiff one that wouldn't quit for three fucking days, I nearly went to the fucking ER with that thing,"

"Hey the merch worked, ain't my fault you don't know what to do with it," Bo shoved the packet in the pocket of Daryl's jeans, "you'll thank me later man."

"Goddamnit…" he removed the packet and threw it in Bo's drink, "Merle why'd ya hang around with these douchebags? Jesus fuck."

"Hey!" Bo protested.

Merle did his usual 'I don't give a shit' grin before deciding, "she went to college, Sparky's probably already done all sorts of crazy shit."

"Watch ya fuckin' mouths, the lot of ya'll." Daryl felt about ready to smack the three of them.

"Woah…" Merle held up his hands, "alright brother, ya'll heard him… no disrespectin' Sparky… she's a real classy lady."

Daryl felt his face soften as he leaned back into the leather booth, his fist unclenching onto his thigh. Maybe Merle did know how to be nice afterall.

"Well…" there is was, Merle was never nice without reason, "Imma need to lend a little cash… keep me floatin' 'till I get paid."

"Are ya fuckin' serious?"

"It ain't cheap gettin' a business off the ground an' we ain't all got a sugar mama to look after us."

Daryl stared at his brother. The old bastard had been nothing but a mean asshole to him all night and now he wanted money to top it all off. Ordinarily he would have handed over whatever Merle wanted but what did that get him? His brother wouldn't like him more, or treat him better. He grabbed Kate's coat and his own as he shuffled out of the booth, "no."

"What the fuck ya mean _no_?"

"Ya didn't ask me nicely," Daryl pointed his finger in his brother's face. Maybe it was time Merle started treating him with a little more respect, "an' I'm sick of ya damn shit."

"Everything okay?" Kate's voice was a welcome interruption, as was the feeling of her hand resting on his arm.

"Ya ready to go?" he asked to be polite but whether she wanted to or not they were leaving before they ended up flying home like space cadets. The very last fucking thing he wanted to do was offer Miss Uppity drugs and corrupt her on their first date. He passed Kate her jacket and said goodbye to the three fucking idiots as he escorted her away from them as quickly as possible.

"Sorry 'bout them," he waited for Kate to finish pulling on her jacket before he passed her helmet.

"It's okay… we all have family members who make us…" she clipped the strap under her chin and gave him a wry smile, "question our DNA."

Something told Daryl that she was speaking from experience. It occurred to him that Miss Uppity had managed a night with Merle that didn't involve her bursting into a flood of tears, slapping him across his face or calling the police which was the reactions he had seen his brother coax out of almost all women he ever came across. "Well I'm still sorry."

Kate smiled and climbed on the motorcycle with Daryl once more. He thought he was more prepared for the second ride but he wasn't. The journey back to Kate's house was as nice as the ride to Lynette's had been. He had the same warm feeling of her body pressed against his. It filled him up like the ripples from the epicentre of an earthquake, starting at the point her hand touched his chest and trembling to the very tips of every fibre of his body. And then there was her smell, the rich perfume that laced Kate's skin and hair like it had been concocted especially for her to wear it. Fucking hell, he loved the way she smelled. He took one last deep breath of her before turning into her road.

The street Kate's house sat on was as sleepy as it always was, cast in a shroud of darkness lit only by the glow of light creeping behind closed curtains. Even the moon was hiding behind a puff of deep navy blue clouds. He stilled the loud rumble of his motorcyle engine opening up a fresh vacuum of silence on the deserted street.

Kate released him from her warm embrace but it wasn't a sudden pull away, it was slow, deliberate, reluctant. Maybe, like Daryl, she didn't want the night to be over. Because another night down brought them another day closer to her absence.

Together they stood like nervous teenagers in the middle street, fumbling with their helmets and barely catching each others eye. Kate was blushing before he even said a single word and he knew right then that he was going to kiss her.

/

"Despite your brother…" Kate's eyes fell to the motorcycle instead of Daryl's face since looking at him was making her into her usual Daryl induced jelly, "I enjoyed this evening."

"Me too," the touch of his hand running along her hair startled her, drawing her attention away from the bike and back to him.

Kate hadn't been kissed by a man that wasn't Ryan in nearly nine years. _Bloody hell_ , it had been so long she could barely remember the faces of the others. Nine years was almost ten and ten was a decade. An entire decade of getting older coupled with pregnancy and childbirth had surely left their mark on her body. She cleared her throat, running her sweaty palms over the outside of her jeans. She felt almost as if she had _never_ been touched or kissed and everything that came afterwards. She clearly wasn't a virgin but she was something else, terrified.

Kate took a step back from Daryl's hands, nervous butterflies erupting violently around her body. In the abstract the idea of a fling was a good one but right now in the middle of the street as she stood with Daryl and the very real prospect of what lay under his clothes the idea was more nerve wracking than anything else. So nerve wracking that she did what anybody would do, or at least what she would do since she had become some sort of prude. She fled. But not before saying "goodnight."

/

Daryl had been admiring Kate in the way that he had no damn business admiring any woman. The way that made him realise what a huge fucking pussy he had become in the past few weeks. His soppy smile was itching its way across his face as he sat his helmet on the seat of his motorcycle and before he had chance to think another thing she was slipping away, her hair flying behind in long silky go faster stripes as she sped off like a deer running from a bolt. She might have been damn quick but she wasn't quick enough. Not by half, not compared to a man that had a deep longing to feel his lips against hers.

Kate's feet were touching the first step of her house when Daryl reached out, catching the tips of her fingers, pulling her back, "not so fast darlin'."

She stilled. What must have been the space of a heartbeat seemed to defy the laws of time and space before she turned, slow and hesitant until they were face to face. Her big brown eyes wide, her breaths shallow and she was biting that damn lip. He dropped his hold on her hand, letting it slip back to her side.

"I don't like my chances on ya steps." Daryl edged closer until he was grasping her waist. His fingers slipped into the belt loops of her jeans as he tugged her off the treacherous five tiered deathtrap.

"Your chances?" Kate's voice was a whisper, quiet even in the silent street. She leaned back against his pull, a feeble attempt at resisting him. God this woman was stubborn. Her hands swooped up to land on his chest and for a split second he thought she might push him away but instead they just rested there like two white flags. Daryl was going to defeat this crazy English woman at least one time and for his trouble he was damn well going to savour it.

/

"Daryl…" Kate breathed his name, starting a sentence she couldn't find the rest of the words for. Instead her lips fell open in silence, capturing the attention of his dark blue eyes. For one heartstopping moment his sight lingered on her lips and she couldn't stop herself from licking her tongue along it like an invitation, or perhaps it was a dare. He took the bait, stepping so close that she could feel the warmth of his coke sweet breath heating her all the way down to where her toes curled in her boots.

One of his hands slipped from her waist to cup her cheek, his thumb running like electricity along her lower lip releasing from her a shuddery involuntary whimper. The dark smile that crossed his face made her blush. He was affecting her more than she would have ever admitted in words but her body admitted it in every other way and now he knew it. His thumb skirted over the rosy glow of her cheek before it found a home in the tangle of hair at the nape of her neck, erupting another wave of tingles that ran along her spine until her legs trembled.

Daryl's head dipped down, slowly, uncertainly, a chance to change her mind if she could think of anything but his mouth or the way his hands were holding her firm and unwavering. Their noses brushed in one half of an eskimo kiss and then their lips were touching. Daryl was kissing her. It started soft, like the stroke of a feather, light and tingly but it was enough to make her whimper again.

His hand caressed a path from her hip to the center of her back where he drew her even closer to him. There was no uncertainty in his kisses now, just the firm eager press of his lips and a soft groan that moaned from his throat into her mouth sending a pool of heat to her stomach. Her body arched to where he was pulling her. Her fingers balled into the soft worn fabric of his shirt and she opened her mouth, letting his tongue slip inside to taste her and kiss her more deeply, more desperate.

Daryl kissed Kate until she was a breathless mess, limp in his arms and wondering why they hadn't done this sooner. But instead of holding her tighter like she wanted he let her go, leaving a chill where there had been heat and a want where there had been hesitation.

/

"I should go," Daryl panted, running his hand over her soft hair, just to touch her again. Though it pained him he knew he had to call it a night. He wasn't sure if he could go in the house without doing far more than kissing her and since Merle had screwed up his plans it was probably best not to even put himself in that situation. _Goddamnit_.

"Goodnight," he said before pressing his lips against hers again, one chaste kiss that was nowhere near close enough to what he wanted to do.

Kate's brow furrowed as she said "goodnight…" like it was a made up word.

"Night," Daryl reaffirmed. _Jesus_. He was saying the words but he couldn't quite bring himself to move away. They were standing close but not quite touching, he swallowed down hard, one more couldn't hurt. His wrapped his arms around her centre, sweeping her off her feet to kiss her again for good measure. One last kiss to ensure that friendship was well and truly fallen from the table leaving behind whatever it may.

"Night..." his voice was shaky as he let her slip from his arms back to the floor, smoothing out her ruffled hair then stepping away, "now go on in the house so I know I dropped ya off safely."

/

Kate glanced down the empty street, was he really just going to leave? She wasn't entirely sure how to proceed or why he wasn't kissing her anymore. "I think I'll be okay."

Daryl was unwavering, nodding to the door, his hands thrusting into his pockets and his adam's apple bobbing in one hard painful looking swallow.

Kate gathered her purse from where it had fallen to the floor. Minutes ago she had been scared he might kiss her now she was disappointed he wasn't kissing her more. But from the way he was commanding her and the way he took a step closer to his bike she realised that she definitely wasn't going to be getting anything more, at least not tonight. Perhaps he was trying to be a gentleman. Or maybe he had changed his mind. _Shit_ , what if he didn't like the kiss?

"Well," Kate straightened down the front of her shirt, "I'll see you at work then… Mr Dixon."

"Yes ma'am."

Kate hovered on her steps for a moment before opening her door, she wanted to ask if he'd changed his mind or if he was waiting for an invitation but there was no way in hell any of those questions would get remotely close to leaving her lips so she let out a light sigh and stepped into her house.

* * *

A/N- Thank you for reading and thank you to everyone that has taken the time to leave a comment :)


	21. Blighty

_Thursday Morning_

Daryl was whistling a tune of his own design to himself in the kitchen when Charlene sneaked up on him, "you sure are chipper this morning."

He cleared his throat to silence the music that was incriminating him then took a big bite out of the slice of toast he'd just smothered with butter. Maybe he was feeling chipper. Perhaps it was because he couldn't stop thinking about how nice Kate had felt in his arms. Not just touching her but really holding her, tight, flush, her chest against his.

"How'd it go last night?" Jim slammed a cabinet door after retrieving three mugs to pour coffee for the three of them.

The only thing nicer than holding Kate had been her lips against his. Daryl pictured kissing her. Since last night he had been holding on tight to the way it had made him feel because that feeling had been like nothing else. Like breathing in air, necessary to life and completely natural. Even if he hadn't wanted to hold onto the feeling he was pretty sure it had stuck all on its own, like there had been some sort of change, except he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Either way it made him more excited for how it was going to feel when he did more than kiss her.

"Oh Prince Charming…" Charlene snapped her fingers in front of his face causing him to jump and realise he had been zoning out as he wallowed in the fuzzy feeling, as he had become accustomed to doing.

"What?" Daryl had completely forgotten what his friends had been saying.

"Jim was asking how your date went…" Charlene sipped her coffee, "but I think we can already tell." His two friends both chuckled to each other and shared the same knowing look.

"It was alright."

"Just alright? With you tweeting like a bird in spring I'd have thought you were in _love._ "

Daryl felt his face blanche as he slumped down into one of the dining chairs, spilling half his coffee in the process. _In love_. Char had to be half crazed, "good lord, that what ya'll think of me? We only had one fucking kiss."

"You kissed?" Char began kneading his shoulders and let out a whimsical sigh, "I just love first kisses."

"It's how they get ya, you'll be begging her to stay before the month is out," Jim backhanded his hat against Daryl's chest.

"What ya'll mean begging her to stay?" Char asked.

"She's going back home." He sat at the table, affixing his hat back on his head, "maybe she'll take ya with her… make you a kept man. You can do her laundry, clean her car, carry her fancy handbags."

"Shut up," Daryl decided shoving the last of his toast into his mouth. He needed to get himself a place of his own so he didn't have to face the ritual morning inquisition.

/

Kate pulled into the museum parking lot and spotted Daryl, leaning against his bike, smoking a cigarette in his own sexy way. She chose to take the space next to his and felt herself blush at the wonky half smile he gave her with the end of his cigarette hanging out of his mouth. When her engine stilled he straightened up, stepped forward and opened her car door.

Last night's kiss had already been at the forefront of her mind most of the morning and most of last night, seeing him now was only adding to her memory of it. Now she was only having to look at him to feel the tingly sensation all over her body.

"Have you been waiting for me Mr Dixon?" she teased, it had occurred to her that she was almost always at work before he was unless he was working the previous night.

He flicked away his cigarette and let his wonky smile grow wider, "maybe."

Kate's butterflies fluttered in satisfaction.

Daryl walked her into the museum, holding open the staff door. Something about it made her think of highschool and the boy who had used to meet her at the end of her road so they could walk together. If he was being particularly nice he would offer to carry her file full of GCSE coursework that she could never fit into her backpack. His name was Wesley and she had been known to roll her school uniform skirt up a notch higher for their morning and afternoon strolls. This was like that, sweet innocent little gestures, the simple opening of a door that somehow gave her _that_ mushy feeling.

"Can I take ya for lunch later?" Daryl asked as he leant in the doorway of her office, watching her place her bag on the desk before flipping open the diary to check her schedule.

"I already have plans," Kate felt a pang of guilt at the way his features fell. She probably could have invited him along for lunch with Bax but there was something that told her the two men wouldn't get along and there was something more than that. If this was going to work as a fling then she couldn't see him socially everyday. It was bad enough that they were seeing each other at work for most of the week.

If the past five minutes of walking with him through the museum had taught her anything it was that she definitely shouldn't see him socially everyday. Even if she never said it in words to Daryl she needed to make sure they had boundaries so nobody got hurt when it ended. It was like dieting, a small indulgence every once in awhile didn't cause any problems. Binging herself on a Daryl diet, morning, noon and night would have been pretty easy. In fact, it was quite what she wanted to do but she needed to be smart and unlike her Nana, the hopeless romantic, Kate was a little more pragmatic or at least that's what she told herself.

 _Thursday Afternoon_

Daryl tried not to hover around Kate too much even if that's exactly what he wanted to do. He didn't want to be _that_ guy. He knew the type; clingy, needy, desperate, even if he could have probably described himself with those exact feelings. He could at least act like he wasn't going crazy and wear the disguise of a cool exterior.

Daryl was watching the monitors just like he was supposed to be doing except there was only a handful of camera angles that were benefiting from his scrutiny. He could hardly take his eyes of that damn exhibition hall except for the moments when he decided, 'enough you goddamn lunatic,' and looked away, but only for a moment. Through the tiny screen he watched Kate, talking, walking, doing nothing of note but doing everything of interest to him.

He was wondering if he should grab a cup of coffee when he noticed some pompous asshole saunter through the museum making a line straight to Kate. The man went right up to her, one hand slipping onto her waist and just like that he bent down and kissed her cheek. Alarm bells were ringing in his head, so loud that he could barely even hear any rational thought that told him the kiss was nothing, small, friendly, a greeting.

A sea of eyes pointed towards him as the chair he had been sitting on crashed heavily to the floor but he didn't even notice. He didn't even realise right away that he was standing up, face red, breath choked.

 _Jesus Fucking Christ._ Could he die from jealousy? This wasn't fucking healthy. In a way he was going to be glad when Miss Uppity was finally fucking gone so he wouldn't have to feel this way all the time. Maybe he could go back to being normal instead of what she was turning him into. She had him in a web, a strange half limbo where she was his but only part way, enough for him to be infatuated but not enough for him to relax.

Daryl righted the fallen chair, threw his hat from his head and made his way to the exhibition hall. All the while he told himself that he was acting like an irrational idiot, but being stupid and hotheaded was a bit of a Dixon trait. All he really knew was that he wanted to mark some sort of claim on Miss Uppity like he was a neanderthal straight out of the stoneage exhibition.

Kate was laughing with the man when Daryl entered the room and every muscle tensed until her big brown eyes looked right at him, "this is Lou's friend… the one I was telling you about."

The man turned around, his smile bright as he sized Daryl up, "Doctor Baxter Templeton." He held out his hand and Daryl stared at it for a moment, rolling his eyes inwardly, and repeating the man's name with disdain in his head. _Doctor Baxter Templeton, Jesus, what a fucking prick._

"Daryl Dixon," he took Baxter's hand more forceful that was necessary and his grip was met with equal pressure on the doctor's part as they held each other's gaze in tense silence.

Kate cleared her throat, "ah hem," and the two men broke apart. Baxter still smiling and Daryl doing his best not to scowl. Although he was pretty sure he was scowling. Why couldn't all Kate's friends be seventy year old men? There was nothing wrong with her relationship with Lou. Now he knew what Jim was talking about when he complained about the twenty something year old bank clerk who worked in the building next to where Charlene did and was always offering to drop her off home after her shifts.

"I'll fetch my purse and then we can go," Kate said to Bax before giving Daryl a pointed look that reminded him he was here for no real good reason. What the hell was he going to do? Knock Baxter out and throw Kate over his shoulder and take her back to his cave. Or maybe his fort, since he didn't have a cave. The idea lifted his tension, it wasn't exactly the worse idea that had ever crossed his mind. Probably not the best either.

"I'll wait for you out front Doctor Ashwood." Baxter half bowed, a sweet smile for Kate and a sardonic one for Daryl before turning on his perfectly polished shoe.

 _Doctor Ashwood._ Daryl caught the weird look on her face before she was walking away, high heels, swishy dress, her typical hypnotic fashion but he could hardly see it. Instead, Daryl remained on the spot, dumbfounded, feeling like the wind had fallen flat from his sails. God this woman was way out of his league. He let out a heavy sigh, the last of his steam, _Doctor_. He might have followed her but instead he returned to the safety of the security office. He was beginning to question everything, _why was he even trying?_ _Why was he putting himself through all this fucking stress?_ He'd never felt like this.

Daryl sat and stared at the monitor all the while knowing he should just look away but also that he wouldn't. Kate caught her foot on the strap of her handbag and half stumbled out of her little office. Daryl laughed and felt his heart clench. Why couldn't she do something so cute and clumsy when he was around to witness it in person? He felt the familiar dopey smile lighting up his face, the familiar buzz of bees, the familiar pang of need. The need to be close to her, talk to her, touch her, anything.

 _Fucking hell._

Even a redneck such as himself knew the truth of why he was chasing Kate. Maybe Charlene had reminded him of the word for it this morning. Hell, the amount of time he spent thinking about Miss Uppity should have been his first clue and the only reason for that level of obsession surely only belonged to a certain four lettered word or some sort of insanity. Maybe they were the same thing. He cursed Jim for getting him this job and putting him in her goddamn high heeled path. The day he had collided with the woman was like stepping in front of a freight train, one hit and he was gone.

 _What if he really was falling in love with her? What if it had already happened? How the hell was he suppose to know?_

 _Shit_. He slapped his palm across his face and groaned. Now what the fuck was he suppose to do? Part of him wanted to cut all ties, forget she existed and the other part of him wanted to know what it might feel like to love somebody even if that went against every instinct in his body.

He stood up and despite his better judgement he headed for the front entrance because apparently he was a crazy man now. Bax was waiting at the bottom of the sandstone steps, smile at full capacity.

Daryl lit a cigarette even though he knew Mr Blake forbid smoking outside of the visitor entrance. He needed the crutch it offered as he took a drag, letting smoke blow out slow, trying to figure out what the hell he was going to do next.

Bax took a seat against the shiny black paint of a BMW convertible before winking at Daryl.

"That's a no parkin' zone, can't you read the signs?" he almost spat out. There was no civil way for him to talk to this man.

"I thought you were _just_ a security guard… are you a parking inspector too?"

"I ain't an asshole who parks over a fire hydrant."

"I'll be whisking Dr Ashwood away shortly, I'm certain the museum can keep from combusting until then."

Daryl threw his cigarette to the floor, snuffing it out with the toe of his boot as he watched Bax's gaze flick to a point over his shoulder.

"Kate… you made it before the world ended and we all went up in flames." Bax said as he stood from his place leaning on the car, giving Daryl a smug look before he opened the passenger side door.

"I did?" Kate looked at Daryl, her brow creased in confusion but still the hint of a smirk playing on her lips.

He wanted to tell her, 'don't go with him' but he didn't, he wanted to kiss her but he didn't, he just stood there for the briefest moment as she walked past him down the steps submerging him in her perfume. As much as he wanted to be as close to Kate as possible Daryl couldn't take another moment with Baxter Asshole Templeton, so he turned and headed inside the museum without looking back once.

Maybe it would be best if he avoided Miss Uppity and the witchcraft she had entangled him with for at least the rest of the day. No more monitors and no more exhibition hall. Although the order he gave himself sounded vaguely familiar, but this time he meant it.

/

Bax took Kate for Sushi which was a very welcomed restaurant choice since it was one of her favorite things to eat and she could never go with Lou who didn't particularly like eating anything that wasn't smothered in some form of gravy.

"Lou said you was here on business…" Kate pried as their food arrived at the table, dish after dish all arranged for sharing. One of the things she loved about Sushi was how pretty it looked, bright, fresh, all perfectly portioned and identical.

"I've actually been offered a job over here," Bax replied.

Kate looked at him with confusion, "I assume you haven't taken it?"

"I courted the idea but in the end I couldn't bare the thought of uprooting."

Kate laughed and nodded, "I understand, even though I was happy to do it…" she thought of Harry, maybe 'happy' was the wrong word. She felt her heart start to shudder in hot little beats like it always did when she talked about something that was so close to the truth of what had happened. So like always she changed the subject, "I miss things that I didn't think I would..."I've even made a list."

Bax chuckled, "such as?"

Kate's face crinkled as she tried to pick an item from her, what was now very long list, "pork pies… you know I never really liked them… but you always want what you can't have right?"

He raised his eyebrows, "always."

"And I crave Indian food all the time, which is something I do love. I've been to a couple of places over here but it's not the same." She rolled her eyes at herself with a small laugh, "What I want is English Indian food."

"Curry mile," his little finger pushed his glasses up his nose as he grinned, "I can take you."

Kate leaned forward as if she was sharing a secret, "I was already planning on going."

When the meal was finished, Kate insisted on picking up the cheque then he dropped her back at the museum, getting out of the car when she did.

"I'm glad we did this. Got to know each other a little more. Now you can call when you get into town and I'll bring over some Pimm's and porkpies."

"Pimm's…" Kate smiled and nodded, "it's on the list too."

Bax held out his hand and Kate took it for a goodbye handshake, gentle yet still firm.

"Farewell for now…" he stepped back, " I shall see you when you return to Blighty."

Kate laughed, "I suppose you will, have a safe journey."

 _Blighty_. _Home_. _Pimm's and porkpies._ As she watched Baxter pulling away she thought of all the things from home that she was missing so much and realised that when she did return to England then she would probably be making a new list. A list filled with all the American things that she missed and wanted once they were unavailable to her.

* * *

A/N- Thanks for all the comments on the last chapter, glad you all enjoyed the kiss! ;)


	22. Failed Intentions

**_Thursday Evening_**

When Daryl returned home from work and slumped down on the sofa amongst Charlene's many cushions he realised he needed to get out of the house and away from all things womanly. He'd done enough worrying and thinking about women for one day. He never had any of his current problems when he was with Merle. Problem number one being Miss Uppity which only lead to the rest of his problems such as thinking about how he should try to get a better job and wondering why he never stayed in school and went to college.

"Ya wanna go for a beer?" Daryl asked Jim when he sat down in the easy chair.

"Sure, Char's got her Mama coming over and…" Jim pulled a face and needed to say no more. Daryl knew all about Charlene's overbearing mother, the only thing his friend didn't seem to notice was how alike she was to his overbearing fiancee. Not that he was going to mention that to anyone or anything.

He didn't want to waste any more time sitting around so he jumped up from the sofa to change from his work clothes then they headed out on foot. The walk to the nearest bar, which happened to be Lynette's, wasn't so bad. The fresh air was nice after being cooped up in the museum all day. It made him realise that he hadn't been hunting much the past few weeks. In fact he hadn't been doing much of anything except chasing after a glossy haired temptress that fluttered around like she had no damn idea what she was doing. She probably did have no idea what she was doing. She was just doing what she always did and he was the sucker that was falling for it all.

Earlier he had been thinking about smacking Bax in his arrogant face when he returned from dinner with Kate but maybe he should have been feeling sorry for the man getting his head turned by all her perfectly innocent little ways. The way she talked, the way she walked, the way she bit that damn lip. She'd drove Daryl crazy with those little ways.

It was quiet in Lynette's and it felt like a million years ago that he was here with Kate. Yet it was only yesterday. He never usually did so much damn socialising and the experience was costing him a small fortune.

Cherry served their drinks, "Merle joining ya'll tonight?"

"I dunno," he grumbled.

Cherry's face fell. Daryl felt guilt of all fucking things when he should have felt bad for even thinking about encouraging the poor woman. Merle would never be interested in more than random fucking or maybe Merle just never gave anything else a fair chance, "I'll text him, tell him ya workin' an'... lookin' so pretty."

Cherry grinned, her eyes lashes fluttering, as she passed him his handful of change, "why thank you Daryl."

"Looking so pretty?" Jim's eyebrows raised so high they nearly tucked into the top of his hat as they went to find a seat.

"I ain't sure why I said that."

"You said it because your goin' goddamned soft…" Jim picked a table, his finger pointing, a wicked grin on his face now. "But you should really be saying that to your girl."

"I can't say somethin' like that to Kate."

"Why the hell not? Women love that shit."

"I dunno," except he kind of did know. Telling her how beautiful he thought she was came far too close to the truth of what he really thought about her and he wasn't prepared to let her in on that information. _He_ didn't even want to be in on that information. "Jesus, let's just not talk 'bout 'er tonight. Please."

"Alright, _don't get your knickers in a twist_." Jim did what Daryl was almost sure was supposed to be his best English accent yet he ended up sounding more Canadian than anything else.

Not only did he not particularly want to talk or think about Kate he would have preferred to avoid the subject of women all together but that was out of the question. All Jim seemed to want to discuss was Charlene, the wedding, their future, deciding whether to extend their house or buy a new one. All subjects which Daryl had absolutely no opinion on except that he was glad of the distraction from Kate. Only every time he realised he was being distracted it only served to make him think about her again.

"I wanna ask you something…" Jim looked serious as he sipped his beer.

Daryl's first thought was that he wanted him to move out and despite all the times he contemplated leaving he didn't really want to fly from their cosy little home just yet, "sure…"

"I've been thinking for a while and… I want you to be my best man."

 _Best man_. The title swirled around his head and he felt his chest puff up with a light feeling, "really?... what 'bout Jason?"

"Don't get me wrong, I like my kid brother… but he'd only drive me crazy. You and me have known each other since we were this big," he raised his hand against the floor to knee height. "Longer than I've even known my brother."

One of Daryl's earliest memories was helping Jim put chubby handfuls of fat worms in his Mama's purse. They couldn't have been older than three or four. The memory was a fuzzy one but he could still almost hear the subsequent verbal ass kicking and almost feel the smarting of a wooden spoon against his back legs.

"You're sure?" Daryl couldn't quite believe it.

"Yeah man… You know Charlene said yes to my proposal right away," Jim teased, "you want me to get you a ring too?"

"Ya can get me another beer."

"Good… no strippers at my bachelor party or the boss will have your ass, and mine."

"Have ya decided what day?"

"Haven't you been listening to a single word I'm saying? She wants to get married next month…July 23rd."

"Thats pretty quick…" Daryl sniggered. Five years of waiting for a ring and only a couple months of being engaged, "she ain't knocked up right?"

Jim looked away, rubbing at his beard, before he took a gulp of beer.

He'd meant it as a joke to freak his friend out now he wasn't so sure it was the right one, "is she?"

"When I asked her to marry me she thought we might as well get a head start..." he took another gulp of beer, "now you can't fucking tell anyone, I mean it!"

 _Fucking hell._

Jim was going to have a child, be someone's Dad, a real fucking grown up. Daryl stared at his friends' anxious face and realised he was suppose to say something. _What did people say?_ "Congratulations?"

Jim smiled letting out a puff of air, "thanks, I'm pretty excited, kinda glad you know. But seriously… don't say anything to anyone."

"Maybe I should get the beers in," Daryl stood up, slapped his hand against Jim's back, grabbed their empty bottles and headed to the bar. Instead of feeling horrified for his friend like he might have done a few months ago, he felt a little envious of Jim's life and that was even more horrifying than anything else. He wondered if they did 'Jim's Construction' hats in baby sized and if one day he'd be changing the name to Jim & Son.

Daryl took a drink of his fresh beer as he walked back to the table with a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Why'd ya pick Charlene? Ya know… over the others." He had watched Jim steamroll through more than his fair share of relationships.

"That was easy. I keep wondering why she let me have her. Just don't tell _her_ that."

"Ya think she's… too good for ya?"

"Of course, but then…" Jim thought about it before giving Daryl an odd look, "she's good at some stuff and I'm good at others."

Maybe he had a point. Maybe Kate had a fancy education but she probably couldn't fix a car, she certainly didn't fix that porch swing and she was probably too damn short to reach the top shelves in the kitchen. Not that any of that mattered really anyway, even though it loomed like an anvil over his head it was so easy for him to forget that she wouldn't be in Georgia forever. Maybe he could steal her away and keep her for himself so she never had to leave. The idea of her returning to England was bad enough, the idea of Baxter being there waiting for her with all the time in the world made his blood boil...

/

Kate let herself into Lou's house, calling his name and heard the clatter of commotion in his kitchen.

"Katy? That you Lass? Come and help me with the Yorkshire's," he shouted.

When Kate stepped into the kitchen Lou was balancing a cupcake tin filled with little pools of oil and batter in his hands as he bent over the oven.

"Get the oven door won't you."

She did as instructed, letting out a red hot blast of air and even more smell of roast beef.

"You didn't have to make all of this," Kate said.

"What else am I going to do all flipping day?"

Poor Lou, the Doctor had ordered him to take a week off work to rest his knee and if it hadn't been for Bax visiting she was certain her old friend would have gone crazy. "You could relax, read… start writing your new book?" she offered despite knowing that her suggestions would fall flat.

Lou grumbled under his breath as he hobbled around the kitchen to take a seat in one of the chairs, falling into it like he'd just finished running the London Marathon. How he was going to cope when he started his retirement in a matter of weeks she wasn't entirely sure except to say that his daughter was probably going to have her hands full.

"I brought pudding," Kate offered hoping to cheer him up. Right away his face softened, a smile twitching at his lips as he craned his neck to get a glimpse of the box he hadn't noticed her slipping onto the counter.

The white and blue polka dotted box contained a chunky apple pie with a lattice lid and dustings of cinnamon sugar. Lou's smile was satisfied but not overjoyed. Kate knew what would really make his day (and the perfect pudding) was sitting in her purse. "The piece de resistance," she held up the packet of Birds Powdered Custard. "Just like school dinners," which might have implied it would be disgusting, but there was something very comforting about thick, yellow, artificial custard especially when it was covering jam roly poly pudding but she was hardly going to be baking one of those so a shop bought pie would have to do.

Lou's smile was in full force now, "you're a good egg. You wouldn't mind pouring the wine would you lass?."

Kate found two large glasses, the bottle was already open and waiting on the side. She poured and passed Lou his glass while shaking her head at the sight him, sitting, exhausted in his chair as a stove full of of pans bubbled merrily on top of the hobs and the two ovens were filled to capacity with enough food to make leftovers for a week.

Lou liked to make Sunday dinner when he was feeling homesick or sad, when he was happy, or any other occasions. He never made it by halves, nor did he ever seem to make it on a Sunday. It reminded her that she was really going to miss all the time she had been spending with Lou this past year, the thought of it being over was enough to make a big lump swell at the back of her throat.

"How did you like Baxter?" Lou pried in his usual manner, distracting her from the melancholy feelings.

"He's an alright sort I suppose."

"Aye, he's alright…" he chuckled between sips of wine, a cheeky glow in his eyes as he stared at her, "not quite a certain southern gentleman though eh lass?"

Despite the implication she managed to keep a straight face, "I believe Bax mentioned growing up in Surrey."

"Aye he's from the south but I'm talking about a different kind of deep southern gentleman."

Kate set her wine on the table, her fingers running along the delicate stem on the glass, "I know exactly what you're talking about." Only she wasn't going to talk about it with an old gossip such as Lou. Nor was there really anything to talk about, except one kiss that had made her heart beat a little faster for 19 hours and counting.

 _That kiss_ , she touched her lips, lost in faraway thoughts and the oven pinged.

"Help me up Lass."

 _Friday Afternoon_

Daryl had spent the morning avoiding Kate, as stupid as it was to avoid someone he spent so much time chasing. Even he realised how stupidly screwed up he was. In fact he could hardly remember the time before he had let this woman into his every thought, influencing him and taking hold where she had no cause to linger. He had even managed to resist the addictive urge to watch her on the monitors. He wasn't entirely sure if his reason for avoiding her was because of Baxter or because he didn't want to feel something for her. Although the latter seemed the worst of it.

Falling in love with someone had never been a problem that Daryl had ever come across so he was unprepared. He hadn't done anything to protect himself against it, instead he had happily given into all the soppy feelings that were turning him into the biggest dickhead that ever walked the Earth and he was damned if he was going to carry on with that shit.

All of his plans were short lived when Mr Blake was passing by and asked Daryl to see if anybody wanted to order anything from the lunch cart that visited the museum. He wanted to tell his boss to 'go and fucking ask them himself' but he needed this crappy job so he resigned himself to being an errand boy with a scrap of paper and a shitty pen that hardly worked.

He saved Kate for last. She was in her office, the door closed, dark and silent as he stared at the grain in the wood for long enough to know exactly how many knots it contained.

 _Don't be a pussy_. Jesus, the other day he would have killed for a chance to talk to her. Right now he wanted to talk to her. The worst part was the whole problem was in his head and if Charlene and her substantial mouth had never said the word _love_ he probably wouldn't be in this damn mess right now. He knocked, three loud raps that sounded like they might split the wood apart.

"Come in," Kate's voice travelled with authority through the wood.

She didn't look over when he entered, instead she remained captivated by her computer screen, rapidly touch typing on her clicky keyboard.

Half of him wanted to shut the door and leave her to it but the bigger half wanted to feel her eyes on him, "Mr Blake wants to know if ya wanna order anythin' for lunch?"

Kate's fingers slipped off the keys, her leg dropped from where it had been sitting crossed over the other one and she relaxed back in the swivel chair to look his way. The way she smiled encouraged his heart to pick up speed.

"Well, that depends…" she said, running her fingers through her hair, sweeping it from her face in a soft, delicate stroke that made him wonder how her hands would feel running over his body

Daryl stepped over the threshold of her office. _Why fight against the woman? Why avoid feeling like this?_ "Depends on what?"

"On you."

Daryl narrowed his eyes, "me?"

Kate resumed her position at the keyboard, her gaze dropping from his and back to the computer monitor. "Aren't you going to invite me for lunch again, Mr Dixon?" she said, her tone casual like the answer to her question didn't matter at all.

Daryl pulled at his tie, straightening it down, as she clicked away at the keyboard waiting for his reply and damn if she didn't look pretty as a picture sitting there typing away with the Georgia sunshine beaming brightly through the window. _Goddamn man catching woman._ He was supposed to be the hunter here, yet he had somehow been walking right into all her little feminine traps. He half laughed before saying, "where do ya wanna go?"

She looked at him then, her smile bright, "surprise me."

/

When Kate had arrived at work this morning Daryl hadn't been waiting for her in the carpark like the previous day and she had quickly realised that she had barely spoken to him since yesterday afternoon. Not that she would ever want to think that she was keeping track of such things. The point was, that although she wanted boundaries between them she most certainly wanted any boundaries to be on her terms. The idea that he had been keeping his distance had been enough to make her want to throw her own ideas out of the window and when he had shown up at her door she had done exactly that.

Thirty minutes passed and like they had agreed Kate went to meet Daryl outside and was pleased to see he was already waiting. They bypassed the carpark and headed away from the museum on foot. It wasn't long until she realised their likely destination. _Piedmont park._

Before they entered the park they picked up lunch from a cute little New York style deli. Daryl's chosen sandwich was bigger than Kate's forearm and stuffed to capacity with pastrami and cheese. It both looked and smelled delicious but there was no way she had run six miles this morning to eat all those cheesy, meaty, mouth watering calories in one lunch. She let out a sigh before deciding on a bulgur wheat salad, a pot of blueberries and a bottle of water. She would feel good about her decision later when she was convincing herself that it was perfectly acceptable to eat half a tub of ice cream.

Daryl led the way in their stroll through the park as they decided on the perfect spot for their impromptu picnic. The winning location was the shade of a leafy oak tree that stood tall and expansive, all by itself amongst the freshly cut grass. Kate stepped out of her favorite black Jimmy Choo's and scooped them up by the heel before stepping onto the grass letting the prickly feeling of the blades crunch under her soles and tickle between her toes.

"I'll race you to the tree," she said suddenly.

Daryl turned to look at her, "I dunno…" he began and then he was off, hurdling away with a huge head start.

She chased him down but he still pipped her to the post. "You cheated!" Kate backhanded his chest.

"Ya never said anythin' 'bout rules."

She dropped her shoes to the ground, "there are always rules Mr Dixon."

"Well I wanted to win," Daryl slid down the tree trunk, until he was sitting, leaning against it, one knee bent and the other leg lying outstretched. "I don't mind playin' dirty."

Kate scoffed, "I'll keep that in mind." She sat besides him with her legs curled beside her, the skirt of her dress draped over the top covering them all the way to the tips of her toes.

He loosened his tie and the top two buttons of his shirt, an action she watched with a keen interest before her fingers were at the neckline of her own dress unbuttoning to where was appropriate for a picnic in the park. Even in the shade of the tree, merely sitting, it was still breathtakingly hot to be outside in the afternoon. She grabbed a clip from her handbag and twisted her hair into a loose bun to take the heavy heat off her neck and back.

"Have ya been 'ere before?" Daryl said.

"A couple of times." But never like this. Both times she had been alone, no one to talk to and no one to stir up the frenzy of butterflies that were in her stomach right now.

/

Daryl wasn't sure what to do with Kate or how to act around her. The whole walk over to the park he had wondered if he should hold her hand but hadn't dared. The whole time they had eaten he had wanted to say something but wasn't exactly sure what and now their lunch was gone he watched her take a sip of water, her head tilting back elongating her neck into one long expanse of soft sun kissed skin than ran all the way to where her dress was unbuttoned.

He swallowed down hard and Kate's big brown eyes caught his stare with the hint of a blush as she bit her lip before slowly screwing the cap back onto her water. When she had finished he took the bottle from her hand and threw it down on the grass. Maybe he didn't actually want to say anything at all. Instead Daryl leaned towards her, his hand wrapping around the back of her neck to pull her in for the kiss he wanted to take from her lips. It felt just as good as their first kiss. Her lips were soft and giving as she opened up to his mouth in the same unexpected way. He felt his blood heating up, his heart racing and a flood of warmth filling his stomach.

The only thing that had the power to make him stop was the fact that they were on the lunch break in the middle of a park. He nibbled her lip, tugging it like he had wanted to then lay a kiss on one of her rosy pink cheeks before he held her hand, pulling it between them to kiss the back of it even if she was still so close that he could have easily claimed her mouth again. His kisses wanted to find all parts of her.

Kate licked her lips, her eyes smouldering through the cover of her long lashes, as she whispered, "what was that for?"

"I had to do somethin'..." he kissed the very end of her fingertips, before running his hand along her hair that was mostly fallen from the bun she had twisted it into. "It's kinda hard not to kiss ya."

Kate's hand wrapped around his tie, pulling in through her fingers until she gave a playful tug on the end, "then kiss me again."

So he did and what was left of their lunch break, plus the 20 minutes they were late back to work, was lost but not wasted in kissing Kate.

* * *

 **A/N-** Thank you for everyone who has left comments :) Glad you enjoyed some jealous Daryl, there might be more... eventually ;P although my initial time frame/word count idea for the first portion of this story seems to have fallen out of the window like I should have known it would.

Jean- I love that you looked up Blighty :D


	23. Fluffy Bunnies

Kate answered the door and she looked so damn good he thought his eyes might actually pop out of his head. She wore a black dress that hugged her figure all the way to where it stopped just above her knees. The tiny spaghetti straps holding it up drew his eye to her collar bone, which looked oh so kissable. Daryl did a double take. This woman did realise she was going on a date with _him_ right?

Memories of yesterday's picnic in the park and their teenage makeout session seemed like a hazy dream and once more he was standing on her doorstep feeling more like a nervous boy than a full grown man.

"You look very nice Mr Dixon," she gave him a coy smile.

"Well you look goddamn gorgeous," he blurted.

Kate's smile went a little softer at his compliment, less sass, more sweet and in turn he felt his ears redden as he hopped down the steps and away from the look she was giving him.

 _Shit_ , why had he even said that? Yes it was true, but that didn't mean he had to admit it. _Jesus_ , so much for not telling her how he felt. What else was going to escape from his runaway mouth?

She joined him at the bottom of her steps, "ready?"

Daryl cleared his throat and nodded, staring at her big brown eyes. Ah fuck it, what was said was said and she did look goddamn gorgeous. He leaned forward and gave her a kiss, the greeting he should have started the night with. Then he took her hand, his fingers weaving with hers as they began to walk down the street to wherever she was planning on taking him.

Good lord, even though he was walking with her he still couldn't quite believe that this woman, wearing a dress like that, was taking _him_ out for drinks. He might have enjoyed it more if he could stop thinking about Jim calling him a 'kept man' and Merle calling Kate a 'sugar mama'. But Kate wasn't organising the date because she was wealthy, she was doing it because she was the boss. He kind of liked that she was the boss.

As Daryl suspected the place they went to was unlike any place he would have ever gone. 'The Skylounge' was atop a fancy hotel that was the kind of place where men wearing bow ties held open the door and pressed the button on the elevator in what seemed like the dumbest waste of time job Daryl had ever seen in his life.

They sat on a glass terrace, high above the smog with the Atlanta skyline providing a backdrop that was almost as pretty as his date. Kate ordered a dirty martini and Daryl a bottle of beer that had a name he couldn't pronounce. Despite the uncomfortable feeling he got being in a place like this, it was nice to be here with her.

Kate sucked an olive off the end of it's little plastic skewer, "did you choose a place for later?"

She meant the tattoo that he was supposed to be getting, but his mind went straight to the gutter as he took a drink of his beer and watched her skewer and suck another olive. Suddenly he was adjusting the discomfort in his jeans. "I did," he managed to say when he recalled he was supposed to answer her question.

"Are you nervous?"

 _Yes,_ he thought. "No."

She sipped her drink, a sparkle in her eye, "I'm a little nervous."

"Why?"

"It's a big commitment."

He laughed, she didn't even want to commit to him getting a tattoo, "not for you it ain't."

"Well, perhaps next time you won't make a bet with me."

"Hell yeah I will. Only next time I'll make damn sure I win." Not to mention next time he would think of better stakes.

They enjoyed their drinks followed by three more rounds, talking in the easy way that conversation was with her. When it was time to leave the fancy little bar behind he was feeling so pleasantly relaxed that even fluffy bunnies couldn't have fazed him as they headed for the tattoo shop where he had gotten his last two inks.

/

Several glasses of Dutch courage were sitting nicely in Kate's stomach as she stepped through the full glass door, under the bright fluorescent lights to the ding dong of a door bell. It should have been Daryl that was nervous, he was the one getting the tattoo afterall, but she was seriously regretting her choice of prize. She felt uneasy about doing something to this man which she had known for hardly anytime at all that would sit on his body for the rest of his life.

The walls of the tattoo parlor were covered floor to ceiling in pictures; bright, colourful, dark, monochrome, large, small and everything in between. Choice after choice to inspire people on their lifelong decision.

"Hey man," a voice called and Kate turned her head to see what she assumed was a tattoo artist emerging from the back room. He clasped Daryl's forearm in a familiar sort of way before saying, "Charlene said you were coming down."

"I hope ya ain't too busy," Daryl replied before looking at Kate with a wink, "we could always do this another time."

The wink he gave her followed by a somewhat roguish smirk brought her wicked side to the surface, overpowering any trepidation she was feeling. It was Daryl's bets that had gotten him into this situation after all. Although a night with his tent had a certain appeal that made her regret winning the bet for altogether different reasons.

The tattoo artist looked at her, a soft smile, "I'm Bobby, Charlene's cousin." Suddenly she saw the resemblance to Daryl's friend, Bobby had the same red hair, the same pale complexion.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Bobby, I'm Kate," she held out her hand and he took it as her eyes inspected the intricate covering of images that blended across his skin from his knuckles all the way up his arm before tucking under the sleeve of his white t shirt.

"You're not from around here?" Bobby asked.

Kate looked up, "I'm from England." It was going to be strange to return home and never be asked the question which she was asked almost daily in the States.

"You getting the ink or Daryl?"

"Me," Daryl interrupted. Bobby turned back to look at him, giving Kate opportunity to inspect the tattoos that were peeking out of the back of his tshirt. She wondered if his whole torso was covered in them like his arms were.

"What you thinking of getting?"

Daryl cleared his throat, catching her attention, "ladies choice…"

Bobby's face screwed up in confusion and the nervous feelings resurfaced in the pit of her stomach as she admitted, "I won a bet."

The redhead laughed, shaking his head as he looked back to Daryl, "you sure you want to do this?"

"I trust 'er."

There was something about they way he said it, or maybe it was the way he had looked at her with those intense blue eyes, but her heart jumped a beat in delight. "You don't have to get one."

"And go back on our bet? Ya better believe I would have been claiming my winnings."

"What you got in mind?" Bobby asked.

Kate bit her lip, all thoughts and options had fallen clean from her head now that the moment was here. She turned to face one wall of pictures, "I'm not entirely sure."

Daryl let out a small snort and she could hear his footsteps as he stood right behind her to rasp down her ear, "no fluffy pink bunnies?"

She looked over her shoulder, "I don't think that's really your style Mr Dixon." Then she began to inspect the boards more closely, searching for inspiration even though she had already been giving the tattoo serious consideration since she had made the bet with him.

Bobby placed his hand on her shoulder, guiding her along the wall until they came upon the flowers, "how about an English Rose?" He pointed to a red rose in full bloom, the colour was almost the same shade as the lipstick sitting in her purse and straight away she knew it was perfect.

She caught Daryl's eye, "then you can remember me always."

"Something' tells me I already will," he said, his voice low and husky as Bobby disappeared to find his sketch book.

"Why don't you guys get settled and decide where you want it while I draw something up?" Bobby said as he ushered them through to the back of the shop and behind one of several heavy grey curtains. Somewhere behind another one she could hear the faint buzz of machinery permeated by disjointed small talk.

Maybe it was the cocktails that were swimming merrily around her bloodstream but there was something surreal about slipping into this private room on slightly jellied legs. A gush of air blew past her as Bobby swished the curtain door shut on clicky runners, sealing them into the room and she felt a chill tingle along her spine. She couldn't decide if it was excitement or fear, maybe a mixture of both.

She watched Daryl, folding his arms across his chest and then unfolding them as she gave into the heavy feeling that was relaxing her limbs and slowing her breathing to long laborious breaths that heaved her chest to full until the air blew hot between her lips. She examined every inch of Daryl's body while she wondered which part she wanted to put her mark on. Then she wondered what the various options looked like in the flesh. "Perhaps," she avoided any sort of eye contact and gave into boozy courage, "you should take off your shirt?"

A strange look was resting on Daryl's face when she finally found the courage to look at his reaction. She wondered if he might be nervous although from what Kate could see, and what she had felt over the top of his shirt, he had nothing to worry about. His body was hard, lean, strong and she was more than a little bit interested in seeing it.

/

Daryl ran his hand through his hair and let out a long sigh.

This was it, the moment he had been dreading and no matter how many drinks he had enjoyed he felt the tension acute like the point of a knife rather than the dull discomfort he had hoped for. Maybe it would be better doing it this way. They were on neutral ground and right now there would be nothing to worry about except having her eyes on his back. In truth the idea of her seeing his secret in the middle of other activities made him feel even more sick.

There was one good thing in all of this. Kate looked like she actually wanted to see him naked. She had a sultry look in her eyes as she looked at him, her fingers teasing her hair. He wasn't used to giving women this sort of reaction and seeing her with it made him push down any fears. Hell, he wanted to be more than shirtless at the end of the night so he might as well get the bad part out of the way now.

/

 _Shit_ , Kate realised she was making him uncomfortable. What would she have thought if he had told her to take off her clothes for him? Although the mere idea of him saying that sent a tingle of pleasure along her tipsy body, "you don't have to, I'm sorry."

"It ain't that," Daryl's fingers went to his buttons and undid one of them. Kate hurried forward closing her hand over his.

"Honestly, you don't have to."

Daryl laughed, dark and dangerous as his hands ran through her hair, "I want to… I'm kinda hopin' you'll be seein' more than… _just_ what's under my shirt."

The words sank in like a shot of bourbon, curling like fire along her body as she held his intense gaze. Her fingers weaved between his hands, pushing them aside as she unbuttoned a button on his shirt, then the next, then all of them as they watched each other in utter silence that hung so thick and electric between then that she thought she might blow apart as her slow breath's picked up speed.

Kate let her gaze slide along his neck, all the way down the thin glimpse of his chest that was still mostly hidden by his dark plaid shirt. She licked her lips, touching him like this in this non so private tattoo parlor felt so wrong, but that was what made it so exciting. Her hand was unsteady and tentative as she reached for his chest, her fingers lightly grazing his skin with the softest touch that made him suck in a sharp breath before she pushed back his shirt more forcefully, over his shoulders and down his arms to looked at him more.

Daryl's body was strong, rugged, the kind of body made hard from days filled with manual labour rather than a gym membership and there was something very masculine about that. He wasn't the kind of man that played tennis or golf like Ryan had been, he was the kind of man that could chop down a tree and build her a fort. For a woman that spent hours researching Medieval England, this kind of 'hands on' man had a very exciting appeal.

He had a tattoo over his heart, _Norman_. She ran her finger along it, brushing through the soft hair that was lightly scattered on his chest

"My Granddaddy," his raspy voice almost made her jump and let out a nervous laugh before she tucked her hair behind her ears and inspected the dragon on the inside of his arm.

Oh dear god his arm was so hard, the feeling of the muscle under her fingers made her breath hitch before she managed to ask, "do you have more?"

"Yeah."

Her eyes went wide, drinking him in as a smile teased at her lips, it was like a treasure hunt, one that she wished they were doing in her bedroom. She pulled her handbag off her shoulder and dropped it to the floor before placing her hand on his shoulder and exploring her way around his body until she reached his back. His body tensed under the hand that was resting on him as her eyes landed on what she immediately knew was the reason the for that odd look when she had wanted him to take off his shirt.

Kate closed her eyes for a moment, although there was no way out of this situation. He was sharing something with her and she didn't know what to say or think. The hard raised lines that covered his back looked old and painful, she moved until she was standing directly behind him. Her horrified face hidden from view. How had this happened to Daryl? Had someone done this to him or had it been some sort of accident? She reached out and traced her finger along one, feeling his body shudder under her touch, words were caught in her throat.

"It was my Daddy… when I was a boy."

Tears pricked in her eyes, and a nauseous feeling rose from the pit of her stomach as she stepped forward wrapping her arms around his chest and pressing the side of her face against him before she stroked her palm over the two demons that covered his right shoulder blade. She held him until she had managed to bite back any tears then let him go and faced him once more. He had been nervous to show her his back but there was something about seeing him so vulnerable that made her want him more than ever.

"Thank you," Kate said, her hands resting on his chest until they sat on his shoulders.

His brow furrowed, "for what?"

"For letting me see you." Kate realised it was a weird thing to say but just like she hid losing Harry from people, she presumed that Daryl hid this part of him. "Sometimes… most times… I don't like people to see me." At least not the broken parts that she tried to hold together, especially the guilt, heartache and depression that had followed her since Harry had been snatched away. The worst part of it was that she tried to pretend that none of that existed, that she was just an ordinary woman behind her carefully refined exterior.

The clicking of the curtain gave her a start and she pushed the backs of her fingers under her lower lash line to push back in any emotions that were in threatening to spill over.

"I drew this up…." Bobby showed a sketch of the red rose that he had drawn up especially for Daryl. "You guys decided where you want it?"

"How about here?" Kate placed her hand on the side of his rib cage.

"Yeah I like that," Bobby said, holding the design over the area before he laughed, "one of the most painful places to get a tat…"

"Is it?" she felt a huge wave of guilt. What on earth was she doing to this man?

"If it's what she wants… I'm at her mercy now," Daryl half smiled before he sat down on the black leather chair.

This was it and even if Kate felt more nervous than previously to put a tattoo on his body she couldn't deny that she relished the idea of giving him a permanent reminder of herself on his body.

The time while she watched him getting a tattoo done seemed to disappear, and she found more enjoyment in it than she thought she would. It was quite an art to affix something on someone's skin in the way that Bobby was painting without hesitation and as painful as it looked with the tiny needle tirelessly stabbing away, Daryl seemed to barely notice.

"What you think?" Bobby said when he put his tool down for the final time.

"Its beautiful," Kate decided as Bobby held a mirror up so Daryl could get a good look before it was bandaged up.

"Have you decided what your gonna get?" Bobby looked directly at her when he had finished dressing Daryl's new tattoo.

Kate sat upright, her eyes glancing between the two men. "I couldn't possibly."

"Sure ya could," Daryl pulled his shirt over his body, fastening the buttons.

"Wait here," Bobby insisted as he snuck around the curtain.

Kate stood from her seat and Daryl walked across the floor, "don't ya wanna know what it feels like?"

"I'm certain I'd look ridiculous with a tattoo."

He smirked as he gave her a slow once over, "that definitely ain't what I think."

Bobby returned with a book filled to burst with options that he began to show to Daryl rather than Kate. "Something small," the two men had equal wicked grins.

"I'm not going to do it," she protested but they didn't even bat an eyelash. Instead they took their time to choose a design that _they_ agreed on.

Even if she was hovering by the curtain, arms crossed and defiant, her curiosity was piqued as she tilted her head to catch a glimpse of what they were looking at.

"How 'bout this?" Daryl brought the book over to her, his arms wrapping around her body, his chin resting over her shoulder as he held the book in front of her and pointed to the design.

 _Arrows_. All types of designs; small, delicate, feminine and with just enough hint of a certain crossbow wielding redneck. Kate laughed nervously as she closed the book. "They're very nice but…"

Before she could continue he threw the book onto a chair then pushed her firmly, but not roughly, into the hot seat. Kate let him lay her back, his hands pushing her shoulders, his eyes never leaving hers until he was picking up her foot, inspecting with a small frown at the two tiny buckles on her ankle before clumsy fingers began to unfasten them. Her heart was pounding too hard and her body was too filled with electric tingles for her to protest as he loosened the buckle then delicately removed her left shoe like it might have been made of glass.

Then she caught Bobby's eye, remembering what they were planning on doing to her and snatched her foot away from Daryl. This was crazy.

"Just relax," he crooned in a way that made her want to do exactly as she was told.

Kate bit her lip, a big part of her did want to do something against her better judgement but another part of her couldn't intentionally do something that she might come to regret.

"Give in," he said even softer as the tip of his finger brushed along the underside of her foot to a wave of tickles

Giving in wasn't easily in her nature no matter how much she wanted to, "I don't think I can."

"Sure ya can… all ya gotta do is say _yes_."

Kate leaned her head back against the smooth leather of the chair, letting out a soft laugh. Maybe one day she would regret this but right now she was saying, "yes," and enjoying every minute of letting go and giving in.

* * *

 **A/N-** Thank you for reading :)

Justcallmewhatever- I don't think she's stringing him along in a way that she is toying with him but I do think she is resistant not just to Daryl but to anyone. She doesn't really want to have a relationship and she is leaving so she's got to protect herself a little bit. Whereas I think Daryl is wearing his heart on his sleeve a little bit more. In the beginning Kate didn't even want to make friends with anyone but Daryl has got under her skin and whether she likes it or not he's pulling her out of mourning and back into the real world.

Jean- I know its sad about Lou but it was when I was writing that scene in the other story that I started thinking about writing this one and what the characters would be like if they never had to fight for their lives all the time. Now I'm writing this one I'm thinking about part two of path's crossed lol. I don't know what it is but whenever I'm writing one thing and I want to be writing something else! Custard is like thick sweet creamy milk... You can make it from scratch but its not the same as the artificial stuff . Its so funny to think of an Aero in a foreign food isle! I love the mint ones best, I bite off the chocolate shell then let the bubbles melt in my mouth.

BreenaBelle- I don't really think of Kate looking like anyone in particular but if I had to say I would go with a sort of Anne Hathaway/Emma Watson/Kim Sears love child. Same with the rest of the OC's they're just sort of in my head would have probably been easier if I'd have picked people and made a pinterest board or something lol. But this story does have a song which I've listened to as inspiration since I started planning , Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran. Its so sexy and romantic and I love old school romance.

Anyway I think I've waffled quite enough ;)


	24. Champagne

8 Weeks Chapter 24

 _Saturday Night_

They had made last orders in a bar and any sobriety gained in the tattoo parlor was now pleasantly lost as Daryl walked Kate home. The unfamiliar streets became more recognisable as they drew closer. She looked at him, the way his plaid shirt was unbuttoned and his sleeves rolled above his elbows. His leather belt which was old and worn with a heavy buckle that no longer shined. His boots were functional, worn for hunting or riding around on motorcycles. He looked so deliciously manly. The complete opposite to her with her slinky black dress with strappy heels to match, and she liked that. She liked to feel feminine and compared to this dirty redneck she felt exactly that. More than that, she felt the sting at her foot where the arrow was etched on the inside of her heel, so discreet that it could only really be seen by those looking for it.

She chuckled under her breath, the feeling of the shot of tequila she had downed in the bar was making her feel light as a feather yet somehow heavy at the same time. "You're a bad influence on me Mr Dixon."

He looked at her, his dark blue eyes crinkling at the corners, "you're a bad influence on me."

"Oh?" Kate raised her eyebrows, a smile prying at her lips, "hows that?"

She watched his adam's apple bob as he swallowed down hard, "ya make me wanna do the sort of things no good boy would ever dream 'bout."

Kate felt the heat rising in her cheeks then suddenly it was rising everywhere as she stepped closer to him and whispered, "like what?"

Daryl's hands wrapped around the tops of her shoulders before stroking lazily along her arm and despite the heat her skin was covered in million little pin pricks, her hair was standing on end and a chill shuddered through her.

"Well… I don't wanna influence ya," he teased and she stepped out of his arms, turning away to hide the the excitable look that filled her face. What was he doing to her? She was feeling drunk and a little wild as she marched away trying to get some distance form the feelings he was stirring.

Daryl easily caught up to her sloppy escape in time to wrap his arm around her waist, pulling her into step with him as they turned the corner onto her sleepy street eventually reaching the steps of her house. She stood on the first one, her heart racing a little as she considered him leaving or staying. Kate tucked her hair behind her ear and looked down the street to where a scrap of paper was tumbling around at the will of the wind, "we should celebrate our new tattoos don't you think?"

He gave her a slow once over that made her feel flustered as his gravelly voice asked, "how do ya wanna do that?"

Kate took a step backwards, gaining more height, "Champagne?"

Daryl's eyes flicked past her to the door, "in ya house?"

"Unless you'd rather have it in the streets?" His eyes flickered with something and she looked away, up the next step, fishing the keys from her purse and opening the door, letting it fall wide and entering without waiting for him to say yes.

She hung her purse on one of the hooks and before Kate made it to the kitchen she heard the front door clicking shut and the sound of Daryl's footsteps pursuing her. She flicked on the bright white spotlights to illuminate her kitchen before she leaned on the counter and did the rather difficult task of unbuckling her shoes with one hand while intoxicated. For a fleeting moment she considered asking Daryl to take her shoes off for her, remembering how his touches felt in the tattoo parlour. But she managed alone, kicking them aside as she realised he had been silently observing her from his place leaning against the doorframe, his gaze as intent and breathtaking as it always was.

Kate found sanctuary from his eyes as she opened the fridge, dousing her hot body in the cool blast of air that spilled out as she pulled the bottle from where it had been waiting. Then she grabbed two champagne flutes and led the way to the garden where it was still warm out and the lighting wasn't as clinical. Daryl sat on the porch swing he had repaired and she joined him. "It was a birthday present from Lou," she said as she eased the gold foil from the cork. For some reason she wanted him to know that she didn't just keep champagne in her fridge for this sort of thing, although she wasn't exactly sure what this sort of thing was.

"When's ya birthday?" Daryl said.

"The 23rd of May, yours?"

"August 23rd."

Thier eyes met and they shared the same little laugh. Her thumb pushed hard on the end of the cork and it released to a loud pop that filled the night air, causing an animal to scurry through the bushes at the end of her garden. "I'll miss it."

"Huh?" his head tilted to the side, a small from on his face.

Kate handed him a glass and began to fill it, the bubbles creeping madly to the rim until they spilled over, "your birthday of course."

Daryl shook his hand, flicking away the champagne she had covered him in and she offered an apologetic smile before asking, "and how many candles will you be having on your cake?"

"Ain't never had no candles on a cake."

For a second she wanted to laugh and ask "are you serious?" but the scars on his back had already told her that he was. Instead she poured herself a glass and took the smallest sip of bubbles before saying, "I've never kissed a woman."

Her admission had the desired reaction, the half choke gag that came from his mouth made a grin slip across her face. This was fun. On a night where she had gotten a tattoo she was certain almost anything could happen.

"Now you have to take a drink because I _know_ you have," Kate informed him.

Daryl's eyes narrowed, looking at her like she might be mad before he did exactly as he was told.

"Come on Mr Dixon, think of something else… what have you _not_ done that you think I have?"

He looked away from Kate, towards the bushes and she wondered if he had seen something she hadn't, "I've never been arrested."

Kate shifted in her seat.

Daryl raised his eyebrows, "just wanna see how bad an influence I am."

She set her champagne down on the end of her knee, her fingers twirling around the stem before she took a drink. "We were all sixteen once… having our first sneaky drink, knocking a policeman's hat off his head," she have him a pointed look, "and we don't speak of this again."

He laughed at her, a sexy boyish laugh because he was right, "ya went to the station for that?"

"No… he put the cuffs on, let me stew for a few minutes then gave me a bloody good bollocking before letting me go."

"I knew ya weren't a good girl."

"I've never..." if he wanted her to feel mortified he was having the desired effect, she wanted to make him blush, "had sex in a pickup truck."

Daryl fumbled with the champagne in his hand before spilling some on the floor, "Jesus, woman." His words were accompanied by an unexpected creak. The creak was soon followed by an abrupt snap as the porch swing gave out. Daryl slid to the ground and Kate slid into him, her champagne sloshing onto his shoes. She couldn't help but laugh, "well… very bloody good workmanship Mr Dixon."

His face was close to hers. She inspected the line of his jaw and the scattering of stubble that shadowed across it as he bit back his own laugh with mock annoyance. Their eyes met. Her laughter stilled to just a smile as his hands found the sides of her face and drew her to his lips for a single kiss. It wasn't enough, she wanted more. She buried her hands in his hair and pulled him closer to her, kissing him how she needed to be kissed. Daryl was a great kisser, it wasn't all wet and sloppy it was just right, like a great pair of jeans that fit perfectly and make you feel fantastic.

In between kisses they stood from their awkward position on the floor, abandoning the champagne flutes but rescuing the bottle as they stumbled into the kitchen. His hands were stroking along her back, cupping her arse and squeezing her there before he kissed her neck. She let out a low groan at the prickle of his stubble chasing his soft lips. She couldn't remember exactly where she had read it, but suddenly she was thinking 'a kiss on the lips means I love you but a kiss on the neck means I want you', and she wanted him.

Daryl lifted her onto the kitchen counter, ice cold marble sending a jolt of shock down her legs before he pulled them apart so he could stand in between, allowing his kisses to find even more of her. His hands felt rough as they touched at all the exposed skin that her dress afforded. She knew the reason she had picked this dress was to catch his eye but she hadn't thought about how perfect it was for allowing his mouth access to the tops of her breasts and along her collarbone where he nipped and sucked until she trembled.

Kate started to wonder if she was still the kind of girl that could enjoy a fling. If she was that sort of girl now she was certain they would have been doing this sooner but she'd waited, she'd waited so long to let him touch her like this that every caress wasn't just making her tingle between her legs with lust but making her heart flutter and race as the butterflies in her stomach did their careless dance.

Daryl nuzzled his face into her neck, inhaling her in like she really was an English rose. "Mm hmm… ya always smell so damn good".

She lifted her wrist to smell it and he stole it away to his own nose, breathing her in again before kissing her there.

"Its called Jazz Club." It reminded her of a holiday she had taken with Isy. Her friend had booked the romantic getaway with her no good cheating boyfriend and lucky for Kate she had ended up with his ticket.

Kate picked the champagne off the side and took a drink from the bottle. Maybe she wasn't the kind of girl to have a fling anymore but it was far too late to worry about that now. She grabbed the back of Daryl's neck to pull him in for one more champagne kiss before letting herself slip from the kitchen counter, clutching tight to the bottle and strolling into the hallway at just the right speed to let him know that he should be following her.

/

Daryl watched her walk away, the champagne bottle bouncing against the outside of her thigh, the bob of her glossy hair and quickly realised that he should be pursuing her. He stumbled into the hallway kicking off his boots before trailing the sway of her hips up the stairs. Then along the long corridor to a white door which she threw open before she fumbled for the wall, finding a light switch to illuminated the two cut glass lamps which flanked the bed with a hazy glow.

Daryl's heart was pounding hard in his chest as he stared at the bed that sat large and imposing in the centre of the room. It was charcoal grey velvet with an all buttoned headboard that stood tall behind a neat stack of plump pillows, the sheets were crisp and white. It was a bed built for adventures, the kind of adventures he'd pictured with Kate.

He pulled the condom from his pocket, clutching it in his hand as he joined Kate in the room. He kicked the door shut behind him before throwing the little foil packet onto the bed just to make sure she knew exactly what he was going to be doing with her.

He grabbed her waist, pulling the curve of her ass against his crotch. The slight pressure of her body against his tightness made his breath hitch. Part of him couldn't believe this was actually happening. The other part of him couldn't wait to see what was underneath that dress.

He swept her long hair over one shoulder, letting his fingers brush against her skin before kissing her. She let out a low moan as his lips marked every inch of her skin, flicking down one of her spaghetti straps to kiss underneath as his other hand slid up her waist and to her breast for one last squeeze over the top of her dress. His fingers found the zipper that ran an eye catching path all along the back of her spine. He'd stared at the zip of this dress more than once this evening in the hopes that he would get to pull it along, opening it up to see what it revealed. Her bra was strapless, it had black lace over nude satin and as he worked his hand down the zip he found panties to match.

 _Jesus_ , seeing Kate half dressed with the smallest glimpse of her underwear was probably enough to keep his dirty fantasies going for a year. What came next would probably keep him going for the next ten.

Daryl hooked his fingers into the tiny straps of her dress and slowly eased them off her shoulders and along her arms until the fabric fell to the floor. Daryl swallowed down hard, his throat was dry as he took in all of her soft smooth curves. He ran the tip of his finger down her spine and Kate looked over her shoulder, her big brown eyes wide with nerves.

Daryl felt the smile twitch at his lips, she was all his now. He'd caught her and now he was going to tear her apart. There was something magical in this moment, the brink before the drop. The first touches and first glimpses before he had it all.

He cleared his throat, "turn around."

Kate's eyes went even wider, even more deer like as she bit that lip of hers before she did as he requested. He felt his breath shudder as he drank her in. Not quickly like a man dying of thirst but slowly like you would enjoy a great glass of bourbon. He explored her with his eyes from the way her breasts slowly heaved in the balcony bra to the way her waist rounded into hips and then into thighs all the way down to the tips of her toes.

Daryl was greedy, he wanted even more. He reached forward to unhook her bra but Kate stopped him. Her hands pushing light pressure on his forearms before stroking up to his neck, pulling him down to kiss her. Nimble fingers dropped to the buttons that she had already worked free once before. This time the feeling of her opening his shirt was not marred by any worries of what was on his back, it was only electrified. Every button and every stroke of her fingers on his skin, sending a little jolt along his body to where the pressure in his pants throbbed.

Kate pushed off his shirt and her hands landed on his back bringing him closer to kiss her more deeply as she stroked her fingers down to the waistband of his jeans. She pulled at the belt, gentle tugs that made his breath catch and his kisses falter until she abandoned his mouth to kiss and suck at his neck. If kissing her had felt that good, he didn't exactly know how to describe how it felt to just stand there and feel her mouth on his body, her nose nuzzling into the hairs on his chest before lacing him with even more hot kisses followed by hard raw bites.

Kate pushed his jeans down, he kicked them off the end of his feet as he picked her up, his hand grasping at her ass, her thighs wrapping around his waist. He only wished that their underwear was already gone so he could ease her onto his length and fuck her against the wall. Instead he carried her around the bed where he threw her down to the sexy sound of a girlish gasp as she bounced before sitting up on her elbows. Her big brown eyes filled with something that definitely wasn't nerves.

 _Jesus_ , he hardly knew where to start so he decided he might as well start at the bottom. He picked up her foot to inspect the little bandage that covered her tattoo, the little mark that he had made on her. He scattered delicate little kisses around the outside until he was kissing the inside of her ankle, his tongue running along her leg and up one thigh before he planted one light kiss over her panties. The little gasps that Kate was making as he teased her were making him more and more desperate but instead of giving in to tearing off her remaining clothes he kissed her other leg in the same way, then her stomach, then all the way until he reached her breasts.

Daryl couldn't wait any longer, he needed to see what was underneath this bra. One hand edged under her body. Kate arched her back to help him release the little clasp and her bra began to fall away. He helped it along pulling it off and throwing it across the room before his mouth landed excitedly on one rosy pink nipple, his tongue circling around it before giving it a gentle suck that made her groan. He did the same to the other side before he really admired them, soft and round, a perfect handful. Kate wrapped her legs around his waist again and he bucked against her as his mouth kissed from her breasts, to her neck, to her lips. Slow, lustfilled kisses, his tongue filling her mouth, his teeth nipping at her lips as his hands felt along her body, enjoying every dip and rise.

Then he stopped. He brushed his hand along her hair, tucking the wisps behind her ear as he looked at her. He wanted to watch her face as his fingers swept down her body, tucking into the elastic of her panties and finding the hot wet warmth between her legs. Her breathing was uneven, the hint of flush creeping along her cheeks and down her neck as his fingers rubbed, slowly teasing her, then dipping inside, one finger at first and then two. Daryl groaned and his balls tightened as he discovered how unyielding and enticing Kate's walls were. All he could think about was how amazing it would feel when her walls were squeezing around something bigger than his fingers.

Her breaths soon became ragged. He thought about all the times he had watched this woman and wanted her, now here she was, falling apart at his fingertips. He stopped. He pulled his hand from her panties and enjoyed the frown that rested on her pretty face. He wanted to torture her a little, just like she had tortured him every time she walked around in those tight little dresses with her pert ass. He wanted Kate to feel the slightest hint of the desperation he had for her.

He rolled her nipple between his fingers before claiming her mouth again then her hands were exploring him and not in the way they had been doing previously. Now she was reaching into his boxers, her soft hands stroking until her fingers wrapped around his hardness, pulling it free. He sucked in a sharp breath and felt his body clench wanting to hold the moment. The rhythm she found was enough to make him forget about anything but the way it was feeling as he fell back onto the mattress, delirious with the faint idea that he couldn't let it be over too quick.

"Stop," he begged, too weak to move as her hand brought him to the brink.

Kate let out a light laugh at his desperation and he growled pinning her down to the bed, her arms above her head before kissing her. The was no way in hell he was going to finish before he had what he really wanted. His fingers hooked into her panties, sliding them along her thighs before his fingers teased her again. Her head sank into the pillow, her hands balling into the fabric as hungry little moans escaped her mouth before he could stand the wait no more.

Daryl kicked off his boxers under Kate's heavy lidded gaze. He liked the way she was looking at him as he ran his hand along his shaft before he reached for the condom. She sat up, taking the packet with a playful smile as she ripped it open, flicking the wrapper to the floor. She picked up the end of the rubber, delicately placing it on the tip of his length before she slowly slid it all the way down to the base in her own ladylike way.

God he wanted to do this with nothing but bare skin so bad it almost hurt to put a barrier between them. He pushed her back down with the rough force that made her squeal. Then he pulled her legs apart to position himself between her, the tip of his penis hovering, waiting, desperate. He stole one more kiss of her nipples before easing inside of her, slowly letting her adjust to his size. It was like nothing else, the weeks of want were suddenly realised and he actually grunted a noise that he didn't know he could make as Kate's legs wrapped around him pulling him closer, her hips angling to take him deeper.

"Jesus Daryl," she whimpered. Kate shuffled her hips and a gave him a coy smile, "it's so big."

As if he wasn't enjoying this enough already, he grinned and nuzzled his face into her neck. Kate was the most beautiful woman he had ever been intimate with and the only one he had ever felt something for and none of those things were lost on him right now as he moved inside of her. Enjoying every touch of her skin, every groan, the smell of her perfume, the softness of her hair, the taste of her champagne on her lips.

Daryl had to stop, he kissed her neck while he tried to hold off his racing body that wanted a false start when he needed the full race. He needed to think of anything that wasn't how good this felt but he could think of nothing else and he couldn't wait for long before he continued, pumping into her slow, grinding his pelvis against hers as her hands caressed his back until she was grasping his ass and guiding his rhythm to exactly what she wanted.

Kate's groans became louder, her movements faster. He took his cue, one hand resting on the headboard as he went harder pushing her off the edge. The feeling of her legs wrapping so tight around him that she might have cut him in two was enough to tell him he could let go of what he had been trying so desperately to hold in. His orgasm spurted out of him hard, and he felt his body turn to jelly, collapsing into her as he squeezed out every last drop of the toe curling feeling.

He didn't know how long he lay on top of her as they both caught their runaway breaths but when he pulled out and rolled onto his back he caught the small, satisfied smile on her lips which was mirrored by his own.

He carefully pulled the condom off, inspecting the end and like he had suspected he had never seen so much damn cum in his life. For a moment he almost rolled over to show Kate but thankfully thought better of it with a small chuckle under his breath as he tied the end and dropped it to the floor.

Daryl lay on his back and pulled her into his arms, her head nestling against him and one of her hands weaving with his as he held it over his chest, gently stroking his thumb along hers. Unlike other times when he climaxed he wasn't thinking about how to get away. Right now he was thinking about how nice it was going to be to spend the night with her body pressed against his. Even if their tangle of limbs was hot and sticky, he liked being glued to Kate. Then he wondered if she'd want to go again.


	25. Special Treatment

_Sunday Morning_

Kate woke up, peeling herself from Daryl's arms before slinking out of the bed, taking care not to wake him. He looked different. So much younger with his face relaxed, his arms grasping for a pillow to snuggle against his chest like a teddy bear. That's how he had held her all night, like she was his teddy bear, tight and all encompassing.

First, she needed to pee. Second, she needed to get away. Kate wasn't exactly sure what the hell was going to happen this morning so her gut reaction was to at least try to avoid any awkwardness or (and this had occurred to her) potentially make things even more awkward by simply leaving. She carefully crept around her bedroom, grabbing what she needed, pulling on knickers, a sports bra, a vest and some shorts.

She was almost home free and out of the bedroom until she stumbled on the empty champagne bottle that was strewn carelessly across the floor having been wholly consumed somewhere between part one and two of last night's activities. She froze, holding in her breath, but the game was up.

Daryl grunted, his eyes straining as he rolled over to look at the noise that had disturbed his slumber. She thought about saying something but all Kate could see was his morning situation, standing to attention past the covers which were tangled around his feet. Oh my, it looked even more impressive in the early morning daylight that was streaming from the window where the curtains had forgotten to be closed. He caught her looking, a flash of red creeping over his skin before his hand held his modesty while he awkwardly kicked the covers to within reach. "What ya doin' sneakin' 'round?"

She felt like a naughty child with her hand in the cookie jar, caught red handed in her sneaky escape and no real good reason. Kate pulled her Free Runs onto her feet before using the end of the bed for a platform to help her tie the laces. She could at least act like she was being completely normal even if deep down she knew she wasn't, "I'm going for my run."

True, Kate did run almost every morning but she could have easily forsaken it especially when she was feeling as tired and worn in as she was right now. The real truth was that this relationship was now on a new level and she didn't want to face it at 7.30am or quite possibly ever. How she thought that she could enjoy meaningless sex with Daryl she was now quite unsure. All Kate knew was that she had woken this morning with her body curved perfectly against his warmth. His arms holding her like they were made for exactly that purpose and for a split second she had thought that she was home. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt like that or slept so deeply.

Daryl sat up on his elbow, a smile tugging at his mouth, "I could give ya a work out if ya like."

Her eyes flicked to the sheet that was concealing his exercise equipment then back to him, "I like running,"

"Ya want me to come?"

"No," Kate said more forcefully than she had intended before she plastered on a smile and told herself to relax. "You do… whatever you want…. to… do..." She bit her lip, holding in her breath. She needed to get the hell out of this bedroom. How could a woman be expected to think straight when she had a man looking at her the way Daryl looked at her. She opened the door and slipped out, pulling it shut with a relieved sigh before running downstairs to grab her water bottle.

Jesus fucking christ, she was mush. Sloppy on the floor mush and she needed to scoop it back together on this run.

/

Daryl rolled over and inhaled the scent of Kate's pillow before he nestled his head into it. He couldn't quite believe that he was waking up naked in Miss Uppity's bed. Now he was awake all he could think about was last night and there was no way he could fall back to sleep with all the excited adrenaline pumping around his body. He thought about the way she had looked, the way it had felt. But best of it all was giving her an orgasm, or three. God he could listen to that all day. If he'd thought her accent was sexy before it wasn't anything compared to how good it sounded when he was working her over.

He chuckled to himself, all those times she had sashayed around in her little dresses with her ladylike ways and last night she had been naked, covered in a nice layer of sweat, begging him to give it to her harder. His morning wood had little chance of disappearing while he kept this thinking up so he kicked his legs out of the bed and stood up, stretching out his arms and feeling pretty fucking good for once.

The front door slammed shut as Kate went for her morning run and for a moment he considered if she was merely running or running away. What if she wanted him to leave while she was out? The idea squashed some of his happy feelings. Then he decided fuck it, even if she did want him to leave there was no way in hell he was going to. A few weeks ago he had thought that _this_ very moment would never arrive but all his determination had paid off. It was like climbing Everest. He couldn't just stop and turn back. He wasn't exactly sure what he wanted from Kate but it was definitely more than one night. She could run her stubborn ass along but he'd catch her up eventually.

Daryl found his jeans and dug out his phone to see five missed calls from Jim. _Shit_ , his heart picked up speed as he fumbled through the lock screen to return the call. Suddenly he was worrying about a million different things. Jim answered almost straight away.

"Everythin' okay?" Daryl said rather than hello.

"I was gonna ask you the same thing…" Jim's voice was light, relaxed and Daryl released the breath that had started to trap at the back of his throat. "You never called for me to come and pick you up last night."

Daryl felt his ears burning, "sorry, forgot 'bout that." But when had Jim ever been so concerned?

"Just wanted to be sure you weren't beat up in an alley somewhere."

"Ya already startin' to sound like a Daddy."

Jim laughed, "except I want the details of exactly what you were doing last night. An not the kinda details a Daddy would want."

"I gotta go," Daryl could at least put off the questioning until later and no doubt there would be a full inquest.

He threw his phone on the bed and walked into the bathroom to take a leak. It was like the rest of Kate's rental; all shades of grey, clean and shiny except for her clutter of belongings. He washed his hands and stood completely naked while he inspected the various toiletries that were scattered over the sink and filling the cabinet. Eye cream, body souffle, body cream, body butter, some french shit and a bunch of crap that he had no idea about but all of it smelt damn good. Some of it smelt like he might even be able to eat it, especially the cocoa butter, thick, chocolatey like a tub of white frosting ready to spread over a cupcake. But no, it did not taste good, Daryl ran his mouth under the tap, scraping his tongue with his teeth. Why he had scooped up such a large fingerfull he wasn't exactly sure.

Daryl tried to tell himself that all this stuff would probably drive him crazy if he ever had to live with her. She didn't even need all this crap. She looked nicest to him when she was wearing jeans and her beat up old Converse, like she was ready to go do something fun. She looked even better when she was wearing nothing but a wasn't even any space leftover for a razor and some shaving foam. But seriously, who was he kidding? No matter what he tried to think he loved that she had all this useless womens shit and thought it was cute as hell.

Along the counter, past the sink and Kate's various lotions and potions, there was a ' _bowties and bourbon'_ scented candle sitting next to a box of matches. He could almost picture her lighting it before she pulled off her clothes and pampered herself in the way that Charlene sometimes said she was going to. He lit the candle before picking up the little glass pot of nail stuff that was in the same pale pinkish colour as her toenails, ' _hopelessly in love',_ he laughed at the name before catching sight of himself in the mirror holding onto a candle lid in one hand and nail stuff in the other. Jesus, he looked ridiculous but Daryl couldn't deny the fact that he was enjoying this backstage pass to Kate's life more than just a little bit.

He put down the nail stuff and checked out his new tattoo. It looked good. A rose wasn't what he would have ever picked for himself but now that it was on his skin it looked right and he already loved it. It wasn't itching too much just yet so he couldn't complain but he did need to clean it. He turned around to look at the shower and decided he might as well give it a whirl as he turned the faucet before stepping behind the glass screen. He paused under the cascading waterfall head letting the water run over his face for a few minutes before looking for the shampoo.

Her shampoo was fresh and reminded him of the forest as he lathered it in his hair. Then he looked through all the other bottles that were lined up on the little shower shelf to find shower gel. The one he picked up was by Victoria's Secret. His mind flashed to Kate's underwear and then he felt his blood rushing.

If he'd thought getting what he wanted last night would have quenched his desires he was wrong. It was like a tinder to the flame. He rubbed the shower gel over his body and tried to ignore what was between his legs. But then he was lathering up his balls and then he was taking his length in his hand and stroking along. This definitely wasn't the first time he had thought about Kate in the shower and it wouldn't be the last. He let his head fall back, the water pouring over him as his hand pumped in tune with the image in his head. Then he stopped, letting out a painful groan. This was wrong. He slammed the screen door open and grabbed one of her fluffy towels. He couldn't rub one out it her shower, at least not without Kate there to help him along. _Jesus_ , he was like a horny teenager.

He picked up Kate's deodorant and took a sniff. It smelled like clean cotton which was thankfully not as bad as the time he had borrowed Charlene's. It was supposed to smell of a summer bouquet but left him smelling like an old lady quilting circle. He sprayed himself, wiggling his toes on the tiles and whistling his own tune as the candle he had lit filled up the room with the smell of cologne. _Hell_ , he might as well have the full experience. First he picked up her little pot of eye cream to give himself a manly, _definitely manly,_ treatment. Thank fuck no one was here to witness this or have any idea of what he was doing right now or he would never live it down. Besides it wasn't like he had anything else to do.

When Daryl had finally finished getting ready, lord knows how long he had spent acting like a pussy, he noticed another door in the bedroom and threw it open. _Jesus_ , he'd never seen so many clothes and shoes outside of a store. Maybe Kate was going to be staying in Georgia after all since he had no idea how the woman was going to get all this shit on the plane. He considered stepping inside the closet before deciding he'd probably already done enough creeping for one morning.

So he went downstairs, passed the living room and into the kitchen to make Kate breakfast for when she got back. He made great pancakes but couldn't find any flour. Then he thought about eggs but there were none. There was nothing much. Half a bottle of ' _apple, asparagus and lemon'_ juice, he pulled a face. _Disgusting_. Then there was two red peppers, a Cantaloupe, a carton of milk and tea, no coffee.

Daryl caught sight of that damned porch swing and groaned before rolling his shoulders and reaching for a cigarette. He lit the end as he stepped outside to look at fixing that thing again and proving himself to Miss Uppity. He climbed on the railing in between drags of his cigarette and inspected the fixing in the wood before looking down the garden to the little brown shed that sat nestled amongst the bushes and a magnolia tree. It wouldn't be too difficult to fix it right if he had the proper tools and this was a matter of manly principle. Daryl had already decided that he was supposed to be the one that could fix shit and he was already off to a bad start.

He finished his cigarette and headed back into the house to find the key for the shed. It was hung on a little hook he'd already noticed by the back door but before he could head outside to make a start he noticed a printout stuck to a white board with a little magnet that was shaped like a star. He grabbed the paper and pulled it free, his heart sinking to his feet.

' _British Airways_

 _Atlanta - Heathrow_

 _Sunday 24th July 22.10'_

/

Kate had spent more than half of her run sitting on a bench with a paper cup of coffee and wondering what the hell she was doing. It wasn't that she regretted sleeping with Daryl, it was the opposite problem. She hadn't expected to like it so much and that was almost worse. She almost hoped that he would be gone this morning so she could brush the weird feeling that was curling around her stomach someplace where she could forget about it. But now she was home, walking into her kitchen and there he was standing in the garden with that bloody swing.

She stepped outside and Daryl gave her a half smile, "it ain't comin' down again."

Kate looked at the drill and various other things that were littering the ground along with wood shavings and dust, "you didn't have to do that."

"I was gonna make ya pancakes but…" he pulled a face, "ya didn't have anythin', don't ya ever cook?"

"I have a melon," Kate retorted with more tartness than was probably required.

"Right," Daryl raised his eyebrows, "what 'bout tomorrow… what ya plannin' on bakin' for the picnic?"

"It's all in hand." _Shit, forgot about that_.

She left him outside with all his judgements even if he wasn't really judging her. So what if she couldn't cook and didn't cook, she bloody hated cooking and she wasn't trying to win any Michelin stars here. Nor was she auditioning for the role of domesticated little housewife.

Kate hopped onto her kitchen counter and toed off her trainers followed by one sock to inspect her tattoo. It had been rubbing on her run and the pain had been part of the reason for her extended coffee break.

Daryl appeared from the garden, picking up her foot and looking it over, "ya don't regret it do ya?"

Kate looked at him, she could see the nervousness on his face, "no… I might even do it again."

He let out a little relieved sigh as he dropped her foot, his hands sweeping up her thigh to pull her to the very edge of the counter and right to his lips. He smelled different, familiar but not the same musky smell that he usually bathed her in. His kissed fell from her lips down to her jaw and then her neck. Despite every instinct telling her not to stop she pulled away, slipping off the counter and reaching for the melon.

Kate had to be realistic. She was leaving in three weeks. She should probably have been setting boundaries before things got even more out of control and Daryl managed to crawl even further under her skin than he already was. Last night, sleeping over, waking up together in the morning, it was too comfortable. Daryl was too comfortable, helping himself to her power tools and poking around the kitchen, thinking about making her pancakes.

She pulled a knife from the rack and thwacked it into melon where it became lodged, stuck in the middle, too far in to take out and not enough in to weaken it. She raised the knife with the melon attached and bashed it hard against the counter.

"Jesus…" Daryl pulled the fruit knife from her hand, "ya gonna chop a damn finger off."

"I'm fine," Kate reached for the melon but he gently nudged her away with his elbow as he forced the knife all the way through.

"How do ya want it?" he angled the knife to cut long slices.

"I don't need you chopping my fruit."

The doorbell rang and both their heads turned to look down the hall before Kate went to answer it.

"Lou… are you okay?"

"Aye." He shuffled through the door, hanging his fedora on a coat hook then bounded towards the kitchen, "don't tell me you've forgotten about our day."

 _Antique shopping_. Shit, forgot about that too.

"What are you doing here son?" Lou declared, surprised, casting a mischievous glance her way.

"He's fixing my porch swing…" Kate offered as she pulled out a chair for Lou.

"Is that what they're calling it nowadays?" he said low enough that only she heard.

She died a little, ignored his comment and announced, "tea?"

"Aye that'll be grand Lass."

She made tea for two, Daryl and Lou who were sitting at the table discussing the idea of another hunting trip. It felt like her father had walked in and caught her up to no good with the neighbour and she was happy to be leaving the room, "I'll just bob in the shower." Lou didn't react and Daryl gave her one of his long looks.

When she dressed; jeans, tshirt and converse, her usual sunday afternoon attire, she headed downstairs to find the boys in the same spot, tea gone.

Daryl stood up, scratched his chin, "I better get goin', gotta help Irma set things up for tomorrow." He patted Lou's shoulder before moving over to her and then he kissed her, right on the mouth, right in front of Lou, "I'll pick ya up tomorrow 'bout 11 okay?"

 _Bloody hell_ , she didn't want the world to crack open and have things change too much, "I can drive myself."

"I know, but I'd like to anyway," he gave her another kiss on the top of her head and then left before she could protest. He left her standing, completely exposed to Lou's Cheshire Cat grin.

"Bugger off Lou," she huffed before picking up the cups and placing them in the dishwasher.


	26. GBBO

_Monday Morning_

The doorbell rang.

"Shit," Kate stubbed her toe on the kitchen counter while reaching for a towel to wipe down her flour covered hands in between glances at the clock.

Daryl was on the other side of the doorbell. His usual attire of faded jeans with boots and this time a blue shirt. He pulled off his shades, giving her the kind of smile that made her knees feel a little weaker as he said, "mornin' ma'am."

She might have swooned if it wasn't for the fact that, "you're early!"

"Traffic weren't too bad." He stepped up the last step, waiting for entry to her house but she wasn't sure she going to allow it. She needed more time.

She hovered in the doorway, one arm blocking him as he patiently waited with a wry smile. She could hardly turn him away even if that's what she almost did. "I suppose you better come in then," Kate decided with a little sigh as she stepped aside, gesturing him towards the kitchen as she kicked the door shut with a roll of her eyes. She followed him along the hall just in time to see his face change from a confused little smile to surprise or maybe of mild horror.

"You weren't supposed to see this part," Kate wrung her hands around the hem of her pinny, biting her lip and feeling caught out.

Daryl picked up a scone from the batch she had deemed too misshapen. Then he picked up one from the other pile, the ones she had put too much salt into. Further along were the ones with the burnt bottom which had been her first attempt when she was still feeling pretty smug about her baking. The feeling had been short lived.

"You were only supposed to see the perfect ones…" she glanced along the messy worktops where she had waged battle with flour and a rolling pin, "and the tidy kitchen."

Daryl snorted out a soft laugh before he looked to her, "they don't have to be perfect."

"Of course they do." Charlene and Irma were both the baking type that did this sort of thing almost every day so her scones had to either look good or taste good, preferably both. That's why she had spent the entire morning mixing, rolling, cutting and baking. A recipe Kate had chosen for its simplicity. She'd always meant to try harder to bake. She'd wanted to be the sort of mum that could bake at least one good thing that Harry would always remember and think, 'mum did the best scones' or 'mum's treacle tart always reminds me of bonfire night'. But she never got round to it and then it was too late.

"It ain't a competition," Daryl said.

Kate scooped some of her failures into the bin. Was he some sort of crazy man? "That's precisely what it is."

"Well yeah… but it's all in good fun."

"If there are winners and there are losers then it's not fun. It's war." She only wished she was joking but any competition from playing tic tac toe to a high school netball game got her blood racing and her adrenaline furiously pumping in a way that was not altogether healthy.

The timer Kate had set on her phone buzzed and she grabbed an oven glove to pull out her final batch, the last of the flour and any remaining patience for baking. They looked _reasonable_. _Fuck_. They would have to do. She set them on the cooling rack, one by one, lining them up, her little baked procession.

/

Even if the kitchen looked like the inside of a bag of flour and Kate was the worse damn baker he'd ever come across she was still so ridiculously cute in a pair of denim cutoffs and a polka dot apron. Barefoot, flour on the tip of her nose and her hair in a ponytail that was falling out in the unruly way it always did.

"Yer so damn competitive." Daryl gave her a gentle tap on the the behind while he inspected the fresh batch.

Yesterday when he had stepped out of Miss Uppity's house he had decided that he probably needed to play things a little cooler than his heart was telling him to. They'd only had one night but he was just about ready to clear out some space on her shelves for his things. So at the risk of not freaking Kate out he was restraining himself and the feelings that were filling him with that addictive warm, sappy, heart quickening flood he got whenever he thought about her but especially when he was with her like he was right now.

Kate poked her finger into his chest, "if you think this is bad… just never play Monopoly with me."

Daryl had never played Monopoly in his life but he'd already learned a lesson in competing with this woman.

Kate flicked the kettle on and began to pad around the kitchen, scooping up all the dirty bowls and utensils as she said the word he'd heard her announce to Lou many times, "tea?". Tea, like it was the cure all, the answer to every situation that cropped up. One of them would say it and the answer was never 'no'.

"Sure," he passed her a tray and then another one as she began to fill the dishwasher. There was something very nice about watching her do all the ordinary things; sweeping the floor, wiping down sides, making cups of tea. He took a seat at the breakfast table for a better look of it, sitting with his chin resting in his palm and watching her do everything like it was the most interesting thing in the world. To be fair, watching Kate's ass in those shorts was definitely one of the most interesting things in the world.

"I couldn't find clotted cream anywhere," she announced, disappearing into her fridge before she pulled out a tub of whipping cream, sitting it on the table in front of him. "I can't believe you don't have clotted cream over here."

"I apologise," he held up his hands. And he was sorry, he didn't want her to have a single cause to miss home.

"I suppose I might forgive you." Kate smirked, passing him a bowl and a whisk, "I was dreading doing this but since you're here… you can put your biceps to good use while I finish getting ready." She gave his arm a little squeeze and disappeared upstairs with her cup of tea.

Daryl had never whisked cream in his life. He poured the the full tub into the bowl and got started. No wonder she had happily let him do this. Jesus, he was about to work up a sweat on this damn cream. Then it occurred to him, she had asked for his manly assistance and the idea of her dainty little arms struggling to whip the cream made him smile.

Kate returned, her hair tied up a little neater and a dress type thing that she called a playsuit. Best of all was her sexy little tattoo peaking out of her sandals and reminding him that a piece of him was permanently on her body. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to play it cool when all he wanted to do was say a million different things that were the opposite of cool.

"I whipped ya cream," was the safest option.

"Let's go then," was her reply.

/

When they arrived at the Horvath's farm it wasn't what Kate had expected. There was half a town full of people filling long rows of blue tablecloth topped picnic benches and milling around the nearest field. Red white and blue bunting was gracing everything from the trees to the side of the house and as well as the never ending table of picnic food there was a smell of BBQ filling the air.

Kate clutched tight to the little gingham lined basket that she'd picked up to display her scones. She'd thought the baking competition was just going to be a fun little thing between a couple of people but from the amount of guests at this party she was starting to think she should have gone with plan B and bought something from a professional bakery.

"There's Charlene and Jim," Daryl pointed out his friends and the two waved before the couples met each other halfway.

"Hey ya'll," Charlene smiled and they stood at a somewhat awkward impasse before the red head gave her a kiss on the cheek and declared, "you made biscuits."

Kate bit her tongue. She'd already had the biscuit/cookie/scone debate once before. Admittedly, she would be the first to say that things had got a little heated and she had promised Lou to never do that again. A biscuit is a scone, a cookie is a biscuit and only _cookies_ are called cookies. "Where do I take them?".

Charlene linked her arm into Kate's and escorted her to a table filled with all sorts of things from cupcakes to pies, cookies to something that looked like jelly? Kate realised she would have to construct her red, white and blue scones if she stood any chance. Not that she suspected she really stood a chance. But they were nicer decorated, strawberry jam for red, whipped cream for white and blueberries for blue. She sliced the scones in half and topped each half the Devon way (cream first, then jam) over the Cornish way (jam, then cream) since that was the way they rolled in the Ashwood house. Cornish or Devon, no matter which was your chosen method it was generally agreed never butter first or otherwise. Even if her offering wasn't the most elaborate on the table they looked pretty enough in the basket.

Irma wrapped her in a hug when she had finished her last half scone. "So glad you could make it and don't you look lovely, I think a little Georgia sunshine is good for you and there is nothing as nice as the fresh air of living on a farm… don't you think?"

Charlene wrapped her arm over Kate's shoulder making her the filling to this southern lady sandwich, "she's right, the sunshine is just _one_ of the nicest things about living here. Don't you think?"

"Well yes, its very-"

Charlene began to pull her along without a care for her answer, "my friends can't wait to meet you. You're gonna fit right it around here."

The was a large group of women, overtaking one picnic bench and in a flurry of chatter. Kate noted that half of them were round with pregnancy the other half had babies on their knees. "We've had a bit of baby fever 'round here," Charlene said as if reading her thoughts.

Kate let out a strained laugh, "I hope it's not bloody contagious." From the look on Charlene's face she regretted saying that thought out loud.

"This is Daryl's girl, the one I was telling ya'll about…" Charlene encouraged her into a seat while Kate looked desperately over her shoulder for the man in question. But he was nowhere to be found.

Instead she was introduced to little Hank Jr who drooled all down her thigh. The only baby she'd ever really liked had been Harry and that really was a matter of mother nature. When Harry had turned three was when the real fun had started. No more nappies, prams, sleepless nights or toddler tantrums to contend with. They would go on adventures. He liked castles and history just like his Mummy. They would visit different sites, drawing up their own floor plan to take home and use as a blueprint to aid a day's worth of lego building. He had a rather shameful amount of Lego which all now sat packed up in the dark of a storage container in Kennington. Kate hadn't had the heart to donate all of Harry's things, some of his lego models were still intact from when his little hands had locked them together.

"I think he likes you…" the woman on her left drawled in an accent even thicker than DAryl's as chubby little Hank Jr reached out to grab a clumpful of her hair.

"Excuse me," she stood, leaving the women to discuss labour's, first birthday parties, schools and everything else that was of absolutely no interest to her. Kate didn't belong at this Mummy table anymore and she hadn't exactly belonged when she was a mother. She wasn't that kind of mumsy type.

/

"Charlene's convinced she's gonna make your girl wanna stay," Jim passed him a glass of ice tea.

Daryl didn't know whether to be horrified or pleased at this information, "she is?"

"She's on a mission, you know how she gets."

"She ain't gonna say something is she, ya know like…?"

"Like what?" Jim sipped his iced tea and let a smirk curl from his lips all the way across his face, "tell Kate she should stay cos you're plumb in love with her?"

Daryl felt his face instantly burning, "fuckin' hell." Exactly that. He craned his neck to look for Kate or Charlene's tell tale red hair but Jim grabbed his arm to stop him from moving and rescuing his woman from the kind of information that might make her bolt from this farm in her mustang faster than the time Ace had been stung by a wasp.

"Don't worry, Char ain't gonna say anything like that. Just try and coax her some that's all," he managed in between his mirthful laughter.

Even so, Daryl couldn't relax. Charlene had a big damn mouth and there was no telling what might come out of it.

"An you didn't deny it," Jim elbowed him the rib.

Daryl groaned, bullshitting Jim wasn't an option. Neither was admitting that he might have been falling for Kate. "I'm gonna find Dale," he huffed, leaving Jim who was still laughing at him.

He lit a cigarette as he strolled through the field to find the old man hiding exactly where he suspected he might be. On the bench by the stables, away from the hubbub of people that Irma loved to be in the middle of. "I was heading back in a minute, I just-" Dale began.

"Don't worry, Irma ain't lookin' yet…"

Dale smiled and took a seat back down, "I'm glad you're here, I wanted to talk to you."

Daryl's instant reaction to people wanting to talk to him was always the same wave of nerves and a sinking feeling that he was not going to like what was coming next. He threw his cigarette down and stubbed it out before taking the seat next to Dale.

"My cousin has offered to lend me and Irma his motorhome, for as long as we need it."

He let out a sigh, "that's great news." The crux of Dale's plans to take a trip with Irma relied on a motorhome so he knew how important it was that he could get one for free.

"I know," Dale smiled, but only momentarily. "I still have to think about the farm. I don't think we'll be finding a buyer, I don't even wanna sell and I certainly don't want to have to wait."

Daryl picked at a splinter of wood that was peeling from the armrest of the bench as he tried his best to avoid eye contact with Dale. Talking about selling the farm always made his stomach hurt, "what ya gonna do?"

"You said you wanted to help… how would you feel about living here? Renting the place at first so we can get by and when I'm gone, it'll be yours."

Daryl's head whipped round to stare blankly at Dale's face as he tried to process what he'd just been told.

"Me and Irma have spoke a lot about this. We don't have any children to leave it to. All our nieces and nephews have their own lives and they don't care about the place like you do. I know you could never afford to buy it but you belong here, you can make this farm what it once was."

"I just…" Daryl shook his head, "I can believe ya'll would do this…"

"When Irma… well… I wanna stay with my brother and his wife. They have plenty of room and I wouldn't wanna be here without the old girl…" he wafted a nuisance fly away with his hat, "don't tell Irma I said that."

Daryl chuckled at the name Dale had always called Irma, even 20 years ago when they had first moved here she'd been his old girl. Daryl had wanted to hate them for buying the place but Irma had made it impossible.

"You can think on it, let me know by the weekend," Dale squeezed his shoulder as he stood from the bench, bracing himself before he disappeared over the fields and back to the party while Daryl just sat there, dumbfounded and on the verge of actually fucking crying. _Jesus_ , he hadn't shed a tear of joy in his entire life and that's what this was right? This feeling that was filling him up and wanting to spill over. The farm could be his. The horses, the land, the fort, everything he wanted. Did people get everything they wanted? It was like everything bad had been leading up to all the good shit he was getting right now. A chill ran along his spine, the weird feeling that the penny would drop and he would realise that this had been a joke or a dream.

Then there was Kate, climbing awkwardly over a fence as she made her way to him.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," she let out a little exhausted breath and slumped in the seat next to him.

"I was talkin' to Dale."

Kate sat up, studying his face for a moment before playfully pouting in the cutest little way, "I didn't win… didn't even place."

Daryl stroked his hand along the soft skin on her arm and bit back a laugh as he realised that if he had the farm and a real home, he could make a life here that he could invite Kate and her terrible baking to be a part of. "Ya don't need to win blue ribbons when ya look so goddamn pretty, wouldn't be fair on the other girls," he winked.

"Why thank you Mr Dixon," Kate grinned before kissing his cheek in a tiny little press of lips that sent a flood of warmth coursing through his veins.

"Ya wanna go for a ride?"

She laughed nervously, that familiar wide eyed look filling her face like she might say no but she said "yes."

He saddled up Peaches and Cream to give them a turn and they headed out to check over what could potentially be their new home, but he didn't tell her that. He wasn't sure if he could discuss living here without accidentally asking her to live here too and that definitely wasn't any way to play it cool. What kind of person asks someone they had known for a few weeks to live with them? Sometimes he couldn't believe the thoughts that entered his own head.

"Charlene said there would be fireworks in town later," Kate hinted with a smile and Daryl took his eyes off the trail to steal a look at her, hands clutching tight on the reins, ray bans covering her big brown eyes and her milky skin getting even more tanned with each passing date.

"I was already plannin' on takin' ya." Of course he was. He liked having a pretty date on his arm in front of all the people he had gone to school with and known his whole life. He'd already enjoyed the way people had looked at Kate when they had pulled up in her Mustang and she had stepped out with him. In particular this one asshole, Derick Marshall, he'd hated that douchebag when they were at school and he still hated that asshole now. Derick Marshall and his chain of three fucking Marshall's Convenience store's that made the whole Marshall family think they were the Kings of the entire county. Daryl felt heated just thinking about it but the once captain of the football team, who now had a tyre sitting comfortably around his waist, had quite obviously checked out Kate with her great legs and squeezable ass. So yeah, he was going to happily take his woman into town later.


	27. Fireworks

_Monday Night_

When Dale and Irma's guests had gone home Kate and Daryl stayed behind to help them clear away the picnic tables and pick up the last of the litter that was scattered about. She didn't mind helping them like this and she couldn't believe that the couple had the energy to host this huge party every year.

They said goodbye to the Horvath's and got into Kate's car to head into town to meet back up with Jim and Charlene for part two of the 4th of July celebrations which included a firework display in the local park.

By now it was dusk and the sky was quickly fading from blue to orange as they pulled up in a small carpark and spotted Daryl's friends sitting in the tailgate of Jim's pickup.

"You're gonna just love this," Charlene decided as she hopped off the truck, rushing over to greet them like they hadn't seen her less than two hours ago, "fireworks, dancing and just about the nicest corn dogs in the whole State of Georgia."

"Kate don't like corndogs," Daryl said.

"Well…" Charlene coked her head to the side, "I'm sure you'll find something that you just _love_."

Jim and Charlene led the way into the quaint little town centre which was the heart of Daryl's universe. All the shops were closed since it was both night time and a public holiday but despite that there were whole crowds of people milling around, sharing small talk and making their way to the festivities. The street they were walking along seemed to be almost the entire sum of this small town, with its one row of banks, shops, a post office, beauty salon and anything else a person might need, all laid out in a purpose built line. It was just about the cutest little all American street that Kate had ever seen. It looked even cuter with all the bunting and fourth of July decorations in every shop window and dangling between lampposts.

Perfect little cookie cutter towns like this appealed to the perfectionist in her that enjoyed the symmetry of all the straight lines and wide roads. But more than anything they made her miss home and the magical feeling of walking around a street like The Shambles in York which had been standing for over 600 years as the rest of the city grew in a hodge podge around it.

Jim and Charlene were pulled into a conversation with an older man and his wife while Kate and Daryl carried on a few more steps to stop outside of what looked like a family run hardware store that had a green shop front and copper cursive letters that read 'Sullivans. Est.1926' across the glass window. She peaked past the lettering into the darkened room to see the faint outline of perfectly arranged shelving, all lined up and neatly stacked.

"It's lovely here" Kate decided while glancing at the little electronic horse that sat outside the shop, just waiting for a little child and a shiny coin to make it rock.

"Ya think so?" Daryl said as he studied a couple of handwritten notices that sat in the shop window. One advertising a missing cat, the other a used tractor. "I mean, I've lived here my whole life so to me it's just… home."

"Well," she looked across the street at the diner with actual red and white awning like she was on the soundstage to some movie town that she didn't think existed in real life. "It's a nice place to live."

When she looked back to Daryl he was giving her _that_ look. That intense look that made her feel like he could see right through her. He picked up her hand and pressed his lips to the back of it before he sighed, his husky voice breathing out her name, "Kate."

She tilted her head, watching his face as he dropped her hand in favour of grasping either side of her jacket pulled her towards him. "I have somethin' I wanna tell ya," he said.

"That sounds ominous," she laughed, her gaze dropping from his and her fingers finding a button on his shirt to fiddle with.

Daryl cleared his throat, drawing her attention back to him, "I'm gettin' the farm."

"What do you mean?"

"Dale an' Irma are lettin' me have the farm," a smile spread across his face.

"To work there?"

"Work, live, run it… own it," he looked almost as surprised as she felt.

"Wow, thats crazy," she laughed in surprise but she'd seen first hand how much the farm, the land and his Fort meant to him. It was a very generous gift from the Horvath's but there was probably not a single other person in the world who would love that land as much as Daryl would. He was getting everything he wanted. "I'm happy for you," she pulled him in for a hug, nestling her nose into his neck to inhale some of his musky smell before she let him go.

Daryl didn't let her go all the way, he kept her in his arms, half pressed against him, "what did ya think I was gonna say?"

"I have no idea."

Daryl's thumb ran across her lip before he dipped down to kiss her, soft and slow before sucking her bottom lip as he pulled away. His fingers tenderly stroking her cheek, his eyes soft and a small smile twitching at his lips. Kate could almost forget they were in the middle of a busy street right now, he had a way of making her forget that anything existed outside the two of them.

She straightened out his collar before wrapping her arms around his neck, "will you raise horses or plant crops?"

"Ain't had chance to think 'bout that too much. I ain't be thinking too much 'bout the work… more the livin' on the farm."

"You'll find it strange?"

"Yeah, they'll be no Dale and Irma, just me…" he pulled her even closer, "it's a big house."

Kate pictured Daryl on the farm, his old blue truck sitting out front, a nice layer of sweat and dirt all over his clothes and skin as he did whatever it was he was going to do. There was only one thing missing from her little vision. "You should get a dog," she exclaimed.

Daryl snorted and nuzzled his face into her neck, his stubble both tickling and scratching at her skin before his soft lips brushed against her jaw, forcing a little sigh to shudder from her lips as his mouth covered hers.

"Get a damn room," Jim shouted thwacking Daryl across the back with a jolt that made them both stumble a step or two, her cheeks flushing and a small embarrassed laugh falling from her lips.

"Aww, I think it's sweet, reminds me of us in the early days," Charlene cooed before wrapping herself around Jim and pressing her head on his shoulder. "You couldn't keep your hands off me."

Kate almost agreed with Jim, they should find a room and do some more of what they did the other night. She'd barely been able to think of much else all day. Every time Daryl touched her, even looked at her she felt her breath catch. She could never remember feeling so desperate before but then her libido had dwindled to nothing for the past 18 months, now it wanted to play catch up.

Daryl held her hand as they strolled the rest of the way down the street with Charlene and Jim. Every so often he would give her hand a light little squeeze or kiss the back of it and each time she would feel the flutter of happy butterflies helping her forget that she wasn't a teenager in the midst of puppy love.

The park was large, big fields to kick a football around or throw sticks with a dog, a children's play area filled with brightly coloured equipment that was built to look like a pirate ship. Further along the path the sound of music became louder and the lights that had been hazy became brighter as a bandstand covered in fairy lights came into view. The band was playing to people who were taking a turn on the makeshift dance floor that was laid across the grass.

Kate spotted Jason towering above others, his cowboy hat bobbing around as he danced with a woman that Kate had noticed at Irma's picnic. Past the dance floor was a cordoned off field where officials in high vis jackets were organising the display but before that there was the tables, benches and food trucks.

"We do this every year, the farm in the afternoon then the park in the evening," Charlene said as they took a seat at a spare table that overlooked the dancers. Kate waved to Jason, who managed to tip his hat in as he twirled the blonde under his arm.

"Ya thirsty? Hungry?" Daryl asked, his hands resting on her shoulders as he bent down to hear her answer over the music.

After the small mountain of food she had managed at Irma's she was sure she wouldn't be hungry until lunchtime tomorrow, "I wouldn't mind a drink."

Daryl smiled and threw his jacket down on the table before he disappeared with Jim to fetch some drinks and snacks.

"Its nice to see Daryl bein' so sweet…" Charlene said with a wide smile.

"He isn't usually?"

"Well yeah he's real sweet, but never with a girl" before Charlene continued another red headed woman caught her attention and she span around to share a conversation with her, leaving Kate to watch the dancers and wonder idly if Daryl liked to dance, or had ever danced. The she spotted Merle and his friends standing on the sidelines, Bo smoking a cigarette and Harley waving to get her attention.

Merle's face lit up in a big smile as he sauntered over, arms outstretched, "Sparky!"

"Good evening," she greeted the boys as Merle plopped down next to her, pushing Daryl's jacket aside.

"Ya wanna taste of my hot nuts?" he sniggered before jangling a paper bag of peanuts in front of her face.

Kate batted the bag away, a wry smile tugged at her lips "no thank you."

Merle waggled his eyebrows, his face leaning closer, holding her gaze as he said, "salty."

Kate turned away in an attempt to ignore him. There was no talking to Merle.

"Where's my baby brother?"

She pointed to where he was standing in line talking to Jim and ordering her a drink.

"Ya got him whipped good dontcha?"

"If you mean he's acting like a Gentleman, well that's all Daryl. I don't need to remind him to behave… unlike some people."

Merle rustled his bag, pouring a mouthful of nuts down his neck and chomping away while Jim and Daryl began weaving their way back to the table.

Merle stretched out his arm, draping it along her shoulder and squeezing her against him, "just look at his face right now… look how pissed off he is that I got my hand on his girl… I think my baby brother might just be in love…"

 _Love_. She felt like he'd just hit her in the chest and knocked all the air out of lungs as she thrust his hand off her shoulder and stumbled over the back of the bench until she was scrambling to her feet.

Charlene turned around from talking to the other woman. "What you doing here?" she pointed to Merle. "Get away from Daryl's girl before I have to hit you over the head with my purse."

"Ain't doin' nothin'," he popped a nut in his mouth and chuckled as he backed away, nodding to Harley and Bo who joined him like obedient dogs.

 _Daryl's girl_ , not for the first time Charlene had seemed fit to call her that.

Charlene plastered a smile across her face, "I wanna invite you to my wedding. Daryl needs a plus one. Who knows, maybe you'll catch the bouquet..."

Kate felt her face blanche as she crouched down to gather her handbag off the floor.

This was too much, far too much. She had suspected it on Sunday morning but she'd pushed the fear away. She'd tried to ignore the rational part of her brain that told her she was already falling too deep into the great big hole that they were digging around themselves. Kate was in a foreign country and as nice as it was, it wasn't home. Her friends, her career, what was left of her life and everything she knew were thousands of miles away and in less than three weeks she wouldn't even have a valid visa. She needed to pull the plug. It would be better for everyone this way. She wasn't ready for anything, not after losing Harry, how could she have a life without Harry? It wasn't going to happen.

"Ya okay?" Daryl said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and firing up the happy butterflies to wage battle with the anxious adrenaline that was saying 'run away'.

Kate pulled her face from his hand and took a step back. This wasn't going to be easy but it would only get harder the longer it continued. She realised that things should never have reached this far. How had she gone from sharing an unwanted afternoon of hunting to sitting with all his friends, letting him fetch her a drink, letting him bloody tattoo her and then turning to fucking mush every time she looked at him. She had to be pragmatic, even if Daryl wasn't.

"I um…" Kate looked at her watch for the longest time while trying to think what to say, "I think I'm going to go home."

Daryl's eyes flicked over her shoulder to where his brother had walked away, " what did Merle say to ya?"

Kate's gaze tried to land anywhere but Daryl's face and the concerned look that was making his brow furrow. "Nothing… I'm just not feeling very well." It was almost the truth.

Daryl put the drinks on the table before he rested the back of his hand against her forehead, "ya feelin' sick? I'll drive ya back."

"No, you stay…" she pulled her handbag over her shoulder, backing away further, "I just… I think I've had too much sun."

Daryl let out a soft sympathetic laugh, "I'll have to get ya a little hat for our next horseback ride."

"I don't want you to give me anything. Just go watch the fireworks," she turned and pushed through the crowd to get away.

Daryl caught up to her, falling in step with her fast pace, "I don't care 'bout seeing fireworks. I just wanna make sure you're okay."

Kate tried to ignore him as he walked with her but she could feel his eyes watching her every step and she could hardly stand it. He was being so bloody nice, so attentive. God, why did he have to be so fucking lovely? It was bad enough she was physically attracted to him but the way he made her laugh, the way he did _everything,_ really it was all too much. "Please… just go have fun with your friends."

"How can I have fun if ya feelin' sick?"

Kate let out an exasperated sigh as she crossed the road, her car in sight. "I don't need you to fucking drive me home okay?"

Daryl's look of concern shifted to hurt and she felt a stab of pain slice all the way from her heart to rest like lead in the pit of her stomach.

"I'm perfectly fine on my own. Bloody hell Daryl, you don't need to fucking baby me" Kate pulled her keys from her purse, pressing the button and lighting up the Mustang as she dashed towards it.

Daryl's hand gripped hard around her forearm, spinning her to face him, "ya ain't actin' like ya fuckin' fine."

"You don't know how I act, you don't know me," she said, shaking him off and reaching for the handle of the car. Why was he making this so difficult? Kate climbed inside her Mustang and Daryl blocked the door before she could shut him out.

"That ain't true," he knelt down, his blue eyes searching her face, "did somethin' just happen?"

Kate bit her lip, grasping the steering wheel and looking out of the front window while her mind was racing with ideas of terrible things she could say to make him leave her alone except she could hardly bring herself to hurt him.

"I'm going home Daryl. Just let me go."

"I ain't lettin' ya go when yer actin' like this."

Kate felt smothered, it was overbearing. "Just…. fuck off Daryl! You're not my fucking boyfriend." And there it was, exactly what she needed to say to make him stand up, step away from the door and slam it shut with a bang so final that it made her jump. She couldn't even look at him as she reversed out of her space and left him standing by the side of the road.


	28. Pretty Little Bow

_Tuesday Morning_

Daryl sat slumped at the breakfast table, pushing his Cheerios' around the bowl until they had turned from circles to a pile of disgusting mush. The sound of Jim and Charlene getting ready, weaving in and out of the bathroom and their bedroom between a conversation about wedding flowers was about enough to make him want to throw his bowl through the window. But he knew it wasn't their fault, they were allowed to be happy in their own house even if he was feeling like he'd taken a beating except there wasn't a mark on him.

"What happened last night?" Charlene brought him a fresh coffee to replace the one that was sitting cold next to his cheerio mush. "You and Kate disappeared pretty quick…"

Daryl dropped his spoon in the bowl with a resounding clink and pushed his fingers against his eyelids to help settle the stinging need for sleep.

"You alright?" Jim joined him at the table.

Daryl sat back in his chair with a groan.

"Somethin' happen?" Jim peered at him from the rim of his hat.

"Nothin'"

"You ain't acting like _nothing_ ," Charlene fixed herself some cereal, her red ponytail swishing with every move she made around the little kitchen. "It don't hurt to talk about things you know…"

He picked up his spoon, making one more circle of the mush then pressing it all flat. They would only keep prying so he might as well say it, "Kate went home, she made it pretty damn clear she wants me to fuck off."

Jim coughed up some of his coffee, "what the heck? What did she say?"

"She said, 'fuck off Daryl'."

Charlene slammed her bowl of cheerios onto the table, milk sloshing over the side with some little O's jumping to freedom, "I'm about to kick her skinny British ass."

Daryl snorted miserably. If Charlene wasn't knocked up he might have liked to see Kate have some sense knocked into her pretty little head. Then he felt guilty for even contemplating liking that idea. God he fucking hated Kate right now.

"I just don't understand what happened, the way she was looking at you all day… why'd she say a thing like that?" Charlene waved her hands dramatically with a look of concern but Daryl knew the redhead lived for this sort of thing if the tv shows she liked to watch were any indication.

"I dunno. I think Merle might have said somethin' but… I just don't fuckin' understand what goes on in 'er head."

Daryl let Charlene stroke his head like he was a child, it was comforting and helped push away the headache that was forming from a restless night spent wondering what exactly he'd done wrong and feeling sick that it was all over with. He'd almost wanted to call in sick at work this morning and would have done, hell he would have quit so he didn't have to see her face again if it wasn't for the farm. More than ever he needed money and a job to help him get the his new home back on its feet.

"You gonna talk to Merle?" Jim said.

"I dunno… Merle don't know half the shit that comes out of his mouth an' it don't matter none anyway. She told me to fuck off, so that's what I'm gonna do. I wasted enough damn time on her ass." In his opinion he'd chased her longer than any woman deserved to be chased and he was damned if he was going to chase her again.

Charlene sat at the table, her mouth turned upside down in a frown, "you guys would have had real pretty babies."

"Charlene!" Jim scolded.

"Jesus. Ya didn't say any shit like that to her did ya?" Daryl said.

"No, I just said she could come to my wedding," Charlene focused on the little sugar bowl in the middle of the table, slowly scooping one and a half sugars into her coffee then carefully stirring, "I mean there ain't nothing wrong with that."

"Well I'm done talkin' 'bout 'er," Daryl took a gulp of his fresh coffee, wincing as it burned like lava down his throat. "Jim, would ya mind drivin' me into Atlanta? I left Merle's bike outside Kate's house and I wanna get it while she's on 'er run."

/

There was no sign of Kate when he picked up his bike and he wasn't sure whether that made him happy, glad, pissed off or even more miserable. The whole drive over to her house he'd been praying not to see her but the second he had stepped out of Jim's truck he had looked at her window and prayed she would be there. God, he had no idea how to feel. He wasn't used to feeling much of anything, now he felt like he was feeling everything.

He'd been early for work and had used the time to make a cup of coffee which he drank before heading over to the security office where he relieved Rick before sitting down at the monitors and of course noticing her car, then her stepping out. Why he did this to himself he wasn't sure but he watched her for a moment before finding the shitty detective novel that still sat on the desk and forced himself to read word after word, although none of it sank in.

When Shane arrived he endured a conversation about some woman named Andrea that he'd started fucking. Then he heard it. The sound of Kate's heels hurrying down the hall and straight for him. Shane disappeared into the office to grab his things from his locker while Daryl just sat there, straightening his hat and planting his feet firmly on the ground so he didn't fall off the chair.

She turned the corner and his heart jumped with happiness, fright or something in between. God, she looked good. She was wearing the electric blue dress that she wore the first time he ever saw her. Why did she have to come wrapped in such a pretty looking package? From the way her hair tumbled over her shoulder to the way her dress bounced with every clip clopping step.

He had no idea what she was going to do. She walked right up to the desk standing directly in front of him as her big brown eyes settled on his face. "Can I speak with you?" Kate looked over his shoulder to Shane who was still in the security office, "privately?"

Daryl rolled his knuckles against the desk and shifted his feet along the floor as he tried to control the tug of war that pulled him from angry to upset with each passing moment she was standing before him. Did he want to speak to her? Could he take speaking to her? He sighed, rolling the chair backwards so he could stand up. Whether he wanted to speak to her or not he didn't exactly have a choice. He could hardly form the word 'no' or any other. How could he want to kiss her at the same time as barely being able to look her in the eye?

Kate turned on her heel, looking back once to make sure he was following her, which of course he was. He walked with her at just the right pace that he didn't have to look at her. She led him to her office, stepped inside and turned to face him. He shut the door behind him and they stood in silence for a moment. Last week he'd pictured this exact scenario except he'd have been hitching up her skirt right about now instead of thrusting his hands into his pockets and staring at the photo on the wall behind her head. It was of a man he didn't recognise standing next to another man he didn't recognise and right now he was looking at it like it was the most interesting photograph in the world.

"Daryl." She spoke soft and soothing, the tone in her voice caught his attention and made him forget he was supposed to be angry at her. "I'm sorry," Kate's eyes fell to her hands which were clasped in front of her, buried in the floaty fabric of her dress, "the way I spoke to you was… indelicate."

Daryl scratched his chin letting the sorry settle in. People never apologised to him no matter what terrible things they did or said. He wasn't even sure what he was supposed to say.

"You must know I hold you in very high esteem. You're a good man, kind and…" she unclasped her hands, letting them fall to the side, bracing the desk behind her, "everything really."

Suddenly he wanted to kiss her, tell her that he was in love with her no matter how crazy she acted.

"But, we cannot allow this dalliance to continue any further than it already has."

" _What_?" Sometimes they really were on different planets.

"I think we ought to remain as colleagues... friends…" her big brown eyes locked with his, "nothing more."

Daryl felt his body sag, his breath falling out of him in waves until he was empty. _Nothing more._

"I'm leaving. I can't continue something that will be over before the month is," she said.

"Don't you think I know that?" Daryl snapped.

"I'm sorry. I want you to understand that-"

"It don't really matter none what I think now does it?" he flung open the door, letting it slam against the too large bookcase that was squeezed into the corner of the office.

"I'm not trying to hurt you…" Kate reached out, her hand wrapping around his forearm, a gentle tug pulling him towards her, but he couldn't take it.

"That don't mean ya ain't." Daryl couldn't look at her anymore. He'd prefered last night's version of 'fuck off'. At least it was in words he understood, and only two of them so it was over quick. This was fuck off wrapped in a pretty little bow. She might as well have taken one of her fancy swords from its case and run him though.

She didn't follow him, she didn't care about him, he would have followed her. He bumped into Lou as he stormed back to the security office and didn't even manage to say sorry since he was so wound up. He felt like he wanted to hit something but he thought about the farm and it helped calm the feelings that were making his hands clench into a fist. He slumped back down into the little chair behind the security desk where he remained for the entire day. He didn't even bother with lunch, just sat and watched the second hand ticking by until hometime.

After work there was only one place he wanted to go to, The Horvath Farm. The soon to be Dixon Farm. Daryl was excited to update the sign at the bottom of the driveway as much as he was sad to change it. Even if he could never have Miss Uppity, he still had this.

"You didn't bring Kate," Irma said as she met him at the door before his foot even touched the first porch step.

Daryl bit his cheek and tried to not let Irma see the look that made his face scrunch as he shuffled past her to hang his jacket on the peg in the hall.

It was a shame Dale and Irma never did have any daughters, sweet, wholesome, farmer daughters. He wasn't sure what he had been thinking when he was falling in love with Kate. She wasn't the kind of woman he wanted. She didn't hunt or cook, she knew fuck all about farming and she didn't even like horses. There was no place for her in his life anyway. All he had to do was keep telling himself that for the next few weeks then she really wouldn't be in his life.

He took a seat in the sitting room while Irma made a fuss fetching him sweet tea and a chocolate chip cookie left over from the picnic. Then she told him all about the places Dale was planning on taking her until the man in question arrived and said, "I didn't think you'd be back so soon."

"I didn't wanna wait 'fore I gave ya'll my answer."

"We already know your answer," Irma smiled. "You'll be staying for supper? We have a mountain of leftovers that want eatin'."

"Thank ya ma'am," Daryl grabbed his empty glass and plate to follow her into the kitchen.

"We'll be leaving after Charlene's wedding, I do love a country wedding," Irma lamented while fetching several dishes out of the refrigerator. "We're gonna take all our photos and little trinkets but the rest of the furniture is yours… although most of it might want replacing… especially if you're wanting to make a home here with a young lady."

"The furniture's fine," he snapped more abruptly than intended.

"Well, there's nothing like a woman's touch."

"Me and Kate. It ain't happenin'. I don't know why everyone keeps pushing' for it." Everyone seemed to think that him and Kate was a good idea, everyone except Kate who who was the biggest opposition to the relationship and ultimately the only person who mattered. Just because she was single didn't mean she was available. If he really thought about it, she'd never wanted to be available and he'd pursued her anyway. If he hadn't enjoyed chasing her then he would have never gotten himself into this mess.

"Its because you're different. I saw it the second you brought her here. The way you looked at her, talked with her… you were so attentive and tender like I have never seen you before."

No matter how nice he was none of it was worth a dime with Miss Uppity who was too damn stubborn to let herself be happy.

"There's plenty more fish in the sea," Dale decided as he helped Irma set the table.

"Well I don't think that at all!" Irma poked her husband with the end of a serving spoon. "You know Dale asked me to marry him after only three months of courting and we were married three months after that. I loved him from the first time we danced… I just knew there would never be another fish."

 _10 Days Later..._

It was Friday at five and the museum was closing up, his shift ending. Daryl had said something to Hailee. He couldn't remember what it had been, just some insignificant little thing, a joke. All he could see was Kate. She was standing away, her eyes glued to a piece of paper fastened to a clipboard, her face in profile. Hailee had cocked her head to the side in a non verbal 'huh?' but Kate's lips twitched. She'd bit it back, but it was a laugh. A forbidden laugh given the situation that was resting precariously between them, acknowledgement but not talking, politeness but not friendship. Still, she laughed at his joke.

Daryl wanted to say something, to grab her and shake her. He wanted to tell her that he was in love with her so she best start loving him and forget about going home. Instead he said '"see ya," to Hailee and made his way into the security office to shove his hat in his locker.

He had a cigarette before he climbed into his truck and when he started the engine he noticed Kate popping the hood of her Mustang and peering in. He almost put his foot down and sped away, leaving her in a cloud of dust, but he couldn't. In fact, part of him was desperate for a chance to talk to her. He swallowed the dry feeling in his throat and tried to quiet the nerves that made him feel like he couldn't say a single word and stepped out of his truck, "somethin' wrong?"

Kate looked over her shoulder, "the engine light came on."

He gave her a once over and held in his laugh, "an' what were ya gonna do?" he nodded to the engine.

"I don't know," she tucked her hair behind her ear and shifted from foot to foot, "it just seemed like the thing to do."

He stepped next to her, the smell of her perfume affecting him like it always did as he took a deep breath before leaning into the hood for a chance to regain some composure that seemed to fall away whenever she was near. "It's a new car so can't be nothing major. Might just be a faulty sensor, nothin' that can be fixed 'ere."

"Oh," she bit her lip, looking into the engine her eyes darting place to place with no clue what she was looking for. "What should I do?"

Daryl slammed the hood down, "call the rental place and get them to pick it up and give ya a new one."

"Of course," Kate shook her head and half laughed at herself. Then she sighed and looked at her watch before deciding, "I'll take care of it Monday." Then she retrieved her purse from the passenger seat and locked the door.

"Ya won't need it on the weekend?"

"No."

This was the most they had interacted in over a week and his heart was racing. "I'll drive ya home," he pulled his keys from his pocket and could see the hesitation across her face. "Or ya could walk… whatever ya want..."

"A lift will be lovely. Thank you."

Daryl didn't open the car door for Kate and regretted it instantly. Not that she said anything. Just buckled her belt, smoothed her skirt over her knees and dropped her purse in the footwell.

"You have your truck back. Has Merle started a new venture or…"

Daryl loosened his tie and popped open the top button, "yeah he's doin' alright." On Wednesday Merle finally arranged for Daryl to take his truck back. When Daryl went to his Father's house to pick his truck up he was pleasantly surprised to see a big white van parked outside of it with 'Dixon & Wilkes' emblazoned on the side. Wilkes being Bo's last name. His dumbshit brother had actually done it. Merle really was enterprising. It had occurred to him then that both Daryl brothers had done far better in their weeks spent apart than in their years spent together.

"When will you move to the farm?" Kate asked after a time had lapsed in silence.

"Three weeks."

Kate shifted in her seat. He glanced at her tangling her fingers in her hair and staring out of the passenger window, her brows furrowed . "The crates arrive on Wednesday," she said like a passing thought that was just crossing her mind and tumbling from her mouth.

Daryl's hands slipped down the steering wheel, his eyes losing focus for a split second, "I know."

The rest of the journey was even more silence until he pulled up outside her house. Kate unbuckled her seatbelt letting the strap glide slowly through her fingers before she turned to face him. "Daryl," her hand landed on his thigh as quickly as she removed it, the flush of pink lighting her cheeks, her eyes wide, "sorry."

"Don't be," his heart was beating even faster, that little touch had set his whole body on fire. His hand fell along the back of the seat, his fingers gently caressing against the tips of her hair.

"Well, thank you for bringing me home," she scooped up her purse and clambered out of his truck, the hem of her dress catching in the door handle in an awkward way that made him want to laugh. Instead, his gaze hardened and despite the fact that he wanted to step out of the truck, he didn't. He just sat there and let her go.

* * *

 **A/N-** Thank you for reading and for all the favourites and follows. I enjoyed reading all the comments from the last chapter even if I felt a little guilty for breaking Daryl's heart!


	29. Spiderman

_Saturday Evening_

Kate stopped by Lou's house for dinner but more than anything for a little bit of company. Another Saturday spent alone and mindlessly wandering around Atlanta had been enough to make her want to pull her hair out.

Lou had baked a chicken and cauliflower pie which looked and smelled delicious as it sat neatly on her plate by a pile of creamy mash and baby carrots. She had taken one bite before Lou wasted no time in his usual manner of praying. For the past several days she had been trying to avoid his questions but she knew it was going to happen eventually. It hadn't taken him long to pick up on the tension that had began lingering thick and silent between herself and Mr Dixon.

"What in heaven's name has happened with you and Daryl? You were thick as thieves and now you're barely looking at him."

She chased the hot pie down with a sip of water, "nothing."

"Bollocks."

Kate raised one eyebrow at Lou who never usually cursed then she cleared her throat and skewered a carrot.

"I don't understand. You like him. He likes you. Its pretty basic stuff lass."

"Lou," she rolled her eyes and sighed, "can we not do this? I'm leaving next sunday so there's really nothing to discuss."

"Leaving doesn't mean it has to end."

She let her cutlery fall from her hands with a clatter on the hardwood table. Suddenly she didn't feel like eating, "I told you I wasn't ready for any of this and you kept forcing him in my path."

He slowly wiped the side of his mouth with a napkin while he stared at her like she was an insolent child, "what's wrong with meeting someone who you can get along with?"

She thought about the 4th of July. Charlene's constant prattle about farming, babies, Georgia and marriage. She'd thought the redhead had been talking about her own life until she had realised she was talking about _her_ life, _her_ future. "Daryl wants more than I can give."

Lou shifted in his seat, his head shaking, his face getting red in the way in did when he was annoyed, "I just don't understand you girl! What's so flipping wrong with being happy?"

"Fucking hell Lou!" she stood, her chair scraping with a loud groan along the wooden boards. Why couldn't he let it drop? Why was everyone so intent on fixing her up? She didn't want fixing. All she had ever wanted was to be left alone. "Maybe I don't want to be happy. I can't be happy, not without Harry. You think it's just a game, a fun pastime for you to tease me with all your incessant fucking meddling! I've had enough!"

"You're getting hysterical," Lou scolded.

"You know I fucking resent _that_ word." Kate grabbed her cotton trench coat and pulled it over her arms before storming out of the kitchen and grabbing her bag off the little bench in the hall.

"You shouldn't drive when you're angry lass," Lou urged as he stepped outside.

She swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat, "I'm fine and I haven't even got the car."

"Let me call you a cab."

"Stop trying to look after me," Kate huffed, flicking her hair from underneath her coat. "Why do you all do that? I'm not bloody useless."

"You need looking after more than you know girl. Sometimes you really are a senseless little fool. Now go on, run off into the dark and please yourself. I'm too old for all this." He slammed the front door, the knocker added a loud clang to the bang and Kate wanted to scream. Sometimes she drove herself crazy.

She slumped down onto the step and put her head between her knees while she waited for the rage to subside enough that she could stand back up, ring the doorbell and behave like a lady rather than a banshee.

"I'm sorry Lou," she said when the door opened.

The corner of his mouth worked its way to a wry smile, "I know you are lass."

She dropped her bag to the floor and held him, "you know I love you right?"

"I know lass," he patted her head, ruffling her hair enough to make her a little crazy but she didn't stop him, "shall I call you a cab?"

She pressed a kiss to Lou's cheek, "I'll be alright. I quite fancy a walk."

"I promise I'll stop my meddling… It was just nice to see you smiling again… and I mean the real smiles, the ones that light up your face when you think no one's looking."

She hardly knew what to say to that except "goodnight."

By the time she walked home it was only 9.30 but she head upstairs anyway. Removed her makeup, washed her face, took a shower and pulled on a nightdress before climbing into bed and flicking on the bedside lamp. She pulled open the bottom drawer of the bedside table and pulled out a book. It had been hers when she was a little girl, a christmas present from a teacher. On the inside cover was her name written as best she could at age 6 and a half. Under that was Harry's name written as best he could at age five and three quarters.

She remembered trying to tell Harry what halves and quarters were then she remembered other things. Catching tadpoles at the reservoir, Harry's first nativity where he played a sheep, the million little stories that were all recorded in her head. She liked to go over them, remember them, but they were fading. She couldn't remember what colour the net had been that they used for the tadpoles and she couldn't remember all the names of Harry's school friends.

'Where the Wild Things Are' was a favourite book between herself and Harry.

She closed the book, her fingers running along the front cover, a lump forming in her throat as it occurred to her that Harry would have liked Daryl. He would have liked Fort Dixon, the farm, the horses. But she would have never met Daryl if Harry had been alive.

She put the book back in its place and fell down on the bed, nestling her head against the pillow and trying not to think about Daryl but it was impossible not to think of him. For a moment she imagined the future everyone was encouraging her to have on his farm, having his children and she had the overwhelming feeling that it would be a betrayal to Harry. She didn't want to replace him.

Then she sat up, clutching her knees against her chest. She wasn't even sure why she was thinking in so much detail of her future with a man she had known for only 7 weeks except that if it didn't end like Lou suggested it would include a terrifying overhaul of her life and a whole lot of paperwork and as a rule she hated filling in forms. It was easy for Charlene to make all these plans when it was Kate that would have to uproot her life to take a chance on some vague little feeling that had been niggling in the back of her mind.

/

This was the last weekend before Jim's wedding. At some time last week Daryl had met with Jason to arrange Jim's bachelor party. There wasn't time for anything as extravagant as Jason wanted and in the end they had agreed on a night in Atlanta and Daryl had conceded to help pay for a hotel room. He'd never booked or stayed in a hotel room in his entire life and he wasn't too excited at the prospect of his first experience being with a roomful of men and their sweaty asses.

They had picked Jim up from home, blindfolded and hogtied him before throwing him into the back of Daryl's truck and driving to their destination. Daryl helped Jason pull the groom up, cutting the straps that were binding him and dragging him into the bar that Jason had arranged for the bachelor party to meet at. Everyone else was already there as they forced Jim thourgh the door and pulled off the blindfold.

"I said no strippers!" Jim almost cried.

"This is your last chance of freedom!" Jason laughed.

"Don't worry nobody's gonna tell Char," Daryl reassured Jim although he had no assurances that she wouldn't find out. In fact, he was pretty certain she would. Charlene always _knew_.

"Jesus," Jim relented letting his little brother move him into prime position for a good look at the whole dirty show.

In truth Daryl felt as awkward as Jim was probably feeling. There were tits and ass everywhere and despite the fact that he shared blood with Merle who was the biggest damn pervert he'd ever met he wasn't one to ever really go to strip clubs. Yes, he'd been to them but he'd been so damn high that he could have been having brunch in the whitehouse for all he knew. Sometimes he couldn't believe he'd lived like that for so long. No wonder Kate didn't want anything from him, the idea crossed his mind with a slight stab of pain landing in his chest before he tried to shake it off.

As well as Jim's friends from school, his construction company and the ones he had picked up somewhere in between there was Charlene's cousins Bobby the tattoo artist and Davey the… well Daryl didn't know what Davey did. Then there was Merle, Bo and Harley who had somehow wrangled their way into the group despite the fact that they weren't even friends with the groom, or invited.

All of them squeezed into one corner of the bar that had been specially cordoned off and then the drinking started. Jason handed him a bright blue shot that looked like it should be squirted out of a bottle to clean a toilet with rather than for drinking yet he knew it was just what he needed. He wanted to drink enough that he could forget, at least for one night, that Kate existed. He downed two shots and then made a start on his beer as he took a seat in the bright red vinyl seat. _Vinyl and wipeable_ , the idea made his stomach curl a little as he glanced at a man who was older than his father sitting all alone with a wad of ones just below a honey blonde stripper who looked like she should have been in high school rather than this bar.

Daryl wasn't sure how long he sat on that seat getting more and more drunk and despite his best intentions he was thinking about Kate more and more with every sip. Even with a roomful of fucking strippers all he could think about was her. This was how crazy he had become. He wondered if he'd ever quite get over it as he ordered another drink and caught sight of Merle getting a lapdance from some Spanish looking chick, which wasn't shocking in the slightest since he'd caught his brother up to far more than that on more than one occasion. Those memories had the unfortunate honor of somehow being seared into his brain.

He drank his beer, then he drank another.

"Why ya sittin' 'ere all alone?" Jason slumped down next to him and flicked his hat back on his head, his charming smile running at full tilt.

"Fuck Kate," Daryl groaned. He wanted to fuck her so much. He wanted to fuck her hard. So hard that she'd forget she ever lived in England. He couldn't stop thinking about yesterday when she'd touched his leg, she looked like she wanted to say something, he should have kissed her then and there.

"Have another drink," Jason crooned, his hand squeezing his thigh as he passed him a bottle of beer. "Ya don't need women."

"I love 'er…" he slurred as he clutched his beer in one hand and with the other he took Jason's glass of bourbon and downed it. It fucking hurt and drinking was making it worse.

Jason took the empty glass back and patted his knee again.

"Jesus Christ, I fuckin' hate 'er as well." He'd tried to win her her the good old fashioned way and that had resulted in nothing but a broken heart. He was already in love with her so it probably couldn't get worse than this.

He decided he needed to change tactics, to stop being a loved up pussy who sat feeling sorry for himself in the corner of a bar and take charge of Miss Uppity.

It was 3AM and he could barely stand as the group poured out of the strip club and began to head towards the hotel but Daryl held back. There was only one place he wanted to spend the night.

"Where ya goin' baby brother?" Merle called.

"I'm goin' to Kate's." Fuck her rules, she wanted it, he wanted it, Daryl was going to give it to her.

"Right now?" Jason smirked.

Daryl gripped the nearest wall before fumbling his zipper to pull out his dick and take a leak. "Right fuckin' now… I ain't gonna let 'er tell me to fuck off again," he zipped himself back in his pants and turned to face the group.

"Imma have to see this," Merle laughed as he pulled his arm over his shoulder, "you lead the way Romeo."

Having Merle and Jason with him might not have been a great idea but he was so damn drunk putting one foot in front of the other was about all he could manage as they ambled along on a walk that took longer than anticipated between all the drunken little powwows where Jason and Merle both tried to tell him what to say but any good advice was lost on him and he was certain that no advice from Merle would be good anyway.

Kate's street was dark and sleep just like the night he'd first kissed her. All the curtains were closed with not a single glow of light in the early hour. At least everything had been quiet until the boys began to thunder along with their drunken laughs and Merle's catcalls.

Daryl bent down and picked up a handful of little rocks. He threw the first one at her window and it hit the sill bouncing back towards him and hitting his shoe. Then he threw the next which tapped the window with a ping as he called her name.

"Ya sure this is 'er house?" Jason said as he threw his own rock.

"I'm pretty fucking sure…" he was out of rocks now, "Kate!"

There was a twitch of her curtain and for a split second he thought he might vomit all down his trousers. _Shit_ , he looked at the other men. This was a fucking terrible idea.

The curtain threw back and there she was standing in the window, her hair all tousled, a tiny little nightdress barely covering her and an extremely irritated look on her face.

"Fuckin' hell," he half groaned. She looked so good. She always looked fucking good. How the hell was he supposed to walk away from her?

She struggled with the sash window before tugging it up and open, her breast practically falling from her nightwear in the motion, a fact which didn't go unnoticed by his dick.

"We've brought ya man!" Merle shouted and Jason gave a wolf whistle which seemed to echo along the street enough to wake even the dead.

Maybe this was a dumb idea, but fuck it. If she was gone in nine days then he might as well go for it. He didn't have anything to lose.

/

Kate could hardly believe her eyes at the sight of Daryl and his drunken idiot sidekicks. She was mortified. She could see curtains twitching across the road and pictured the imminent arrival of flashing lights. "What the hell are you doing here? Go home before you get yourselves arrested."

Daryl lit a cigarette leaning heavily against a street light, "ain't ya gonna let me in?"

"Are you insane? Shut up and go home."

"I don't wanna go home. I wanna see you."

Kate rubbed the sleep from her eyes and felt her sleepiness quickly turning to irritation, "well now you've seen me, so fuck off."

Jason and Merle were bent over laughing so hard they could barely breathe and she decided she fucking hated drunk Daryl.

"I thought ya weren't gonna let Sparky tell ya to fuck off?" Merle said between his chuckling.

"Jesus, woman. You're so fuckin' mean!" Daryl stamped out his cigarette before shrugging off his jacket, "ladders are for pussy's," he announced then he rolled his shoulders and began to climb up a trellis on the side of her house until he was on to the living room bay window, halfway up to her bedroom and looking determined.

His friends urged him on and Kate watched in silent disbelief. What the hell was wrong with him? Had he lost his mind? To her horror Daryl began stretching his arm for a gutter to help him reach her.

"You're going to break your bloody neck and I don't want to have to deal with that at 4am."

"You're real fuckin' merciful," he sniggered as he went for it full force until he was half clambering at her window.

"You're an idiot," Kate reached out to heave him the rest of the way through where he fell to the floor in a pile.

"Goodnight ma'am," Jason saluted from the street, a look of satisfaction on his face.

"Happy fuckin'," Merle threw a condom through the air and it fell short of his target, falling to the ground to places unknown.

Kate flipped them off and slammed her window shut, although she had half a mind to launch Daryl back through it.

She ran her hand through her hair and looked over her shoulder to see him half slumped on the floor. "What on Earth are you thinking?" she kicked his side, rolling him onto his back, his shirt sneaking up his stomach giving her a peek of a the light trail of hair that led below his leather belt.

Daryl chuckled to himself before staggering to his feet and looking at her in a way that made her cheeks flush and erupted a flood of warmth between her legs. He stepped forward until he was pressing her against the wall, his thigh pushing between hers, his hands grasping her shoulders and his breaths blowing in unsteady waves. "I want you," he rasped before kissing her neck, his hands sweeping along her body until one was squeezing her breast.

"Stop," Kate's brain protested despite her body wanting nothing more than to cross the picket line and join the other side.

"Ya don't mean that," Daryl licked along the outside of her ear before nibbling the lobe. One of his hands leaned on the wall next to her head and the other fell from her breast to rest on her hip. He was so close to her. His bottom half was pressed against hers, the sandalwood scent of his cologne was filling her nose and his eyes looked so tantalisingly dark and dangerous they made her heart stop beating. "Let me have ya," he coaxed, his husky voice nothing more than a whisper.

Kate hardly knew how to react, her body was tingling in anticipation but at the same time she couldn't ignore the doubt that was filling her mind. She'd meant what she said when she told him 'nothing more.' Then his lips pushed against hers, and she let him. She let his tongue into her mouth, to brush against hers and she enjoyed it despite herself. She wanted it despite all rational thought.

"Say yes," he groaned as his hand felt its way underneath the short hem of her night dress, caressing along the outside of her thigh, higher and higher until he was squeezing her behind.

 _Maybe they could have one more night_ …

His kisses didn't wait for her answer as his thumb pulled down one side of her nightdress, brushing over her nipple before his mouth replaced his calloused touch. He kissed and sucked until she was whimpering, "yes, yes," it was all she could think of now.

Daryl's breaths were heavy, shuddering out of him, curling hot over her skin which was pin pricked and sensitive to every caress. His fingers explored under her dress, discovering there was nothing to stop them from pushing inside and feeling how wet she was for him. She bit back a moan, her hands gripping onto his shoulders for support as he thrust his fingers over and over while his wet kisses trailed along her collarbone and back to her breasts as he ground his pelvis against her leg.

"I want ya so bad," he pulled his fingers from inside her and reached for his belt, quickly pulling the buckle apart and shoving down his jeans just enough so he was springing free and rolling a condom along his length. He pushed Kate even harder to the wall when he entered her, wrapping one of her legs around his waist as she stood on her tiptoes with the other. Her head fell back into the wall as she lost herself in the steady rhythm Daryl was pounding her with. He groaned down her ear taking exactly what he wanted until his body shuddered and he moaned her name, his hand bunching into her hair as he gave three final hard thrusts. He held her still, burying his face into her shoulder as his ragged breaths smoothed and he pulled out, leaving her empty.

Daryl brushed the hair from her face and kissed her softly, nuzzling his nose against hers. His hand stroking gently down her arms before he effortlessly picked her up and carried her to the bed, gently laying her down. He eased his shirt over his head and dropped down to his knees at the edge of the bed, his eyes never leaving hers as he grabbed her legs and pulled her towards him.

Daryl's face nuzzled along her thighs before he threw her legs over his shoulders, gripped her hips and brought her centre to his mouth. He licked her hard and Kate gasped, wriggling from him as the sensation flooded her so fast she could barely take it. But he pulled her back, his hands holding her firm as he lapped and sucked until she needed more of the thrilling rhythm he was playing with his tongue. Her breathing became fast, her hands reached over her head gripping the edge of the mattress as the tingling feeling built to a crescendo. Her hips arched to feel more as she let go, her legs trembling and slumping from his shoulders as she succumbed entirely to his mouth.

He stood, wiping his face with the back of his hand, a small smile prying at his lips then he fell down on the bed besides her, planting his arm across her waist and holding her snug, his chin nestling in her neck. She thought she might say something but barely 30 seconds passed before his soft snores started to blow down her ear.

She turned to face him, her fingers reaching out to brush against the stubble on his jaw then she looked along his body. They were laying the wrong way in the bed, his jeans undone, his shoes still on, his chests slowly heaving with each heavy breath. He was so warm, she stroked her hand along his chest letting the hairs tickle her palm before she placed her hand over his heart and felt the steady beats.

She'd given into desire and despite the sleepy relaxation and the way the butterflies were fluttering happily, she was feeling a little bit shitty. So much for keeping her distance and not trying to mess him around. Although when she made those plans she hadn't foreseen him climbing the side of her house like Spiderman. And she hadn't foreseen how excited that would make her feel.

She bit her lip and began to slowly roll away from him but his hand wrapped around her wrist.

"Stop fightin' it," Daryl murmured still half asleep as he kicked off his shoes and pulled her even closer than before. He wrapped himself around her, kissed the top of her head and made himself more comfortable. She gave in, again. Her willpower would have to wait until morning.


	30. Secrets

_Sunday Morning_

Daryl woke up, his eyes peeling open, reading 10.02 on Kate's digital alarm clock. She was, of course, missing from the bed when he reached around to find the space where she had been sleeping, now long cold. He never realised how horrible it was to wake up alone before now or how unfeeling it was when he had refused to spend the night with the women he had sex with. He was getting a good taste of that now.

He plodded into the ensuite and took a leak before opening her bathroom cabinet and helping himself to two paracetamol for his hangover. He wasn't feeling as bad as expected but that probably had something to do with the fact that he'd woke up at around 6AM dying of dehydration and had stumbled his way to the bathroom to drink his fill directly from the faucet.

Today was supposed to be a continuation of Jim's bachelor party, a whole day filled with hunting in the hopes they could snag a wild boar to feed the guests at his wedding reception. As much as Daryl liked hunting, and he loved hunting, he would much rather find Miss Uppity and carry her back upstairs to spend more time with her in her big bed but It was probably best to not test his luck too much. He couldn't believe how lucky he had got last night and the memory of it served as a reminder that no matter what Kate said, she wanted this just like he did. The only difference was that he was prepared to admit it and she was the most stubborn woman in the whole state of Georgia.

He needed to stay focused. He couldn't let her push him away again, not when the clock was ticking by so quickly. It was already Sunday and this time next week the clock would be counting down to her final hours in the US. The thought was enough to make him feel sick.

What the hell was he going to do with this woman?

He cleaned his face and hands, borrowed a spray of her deoderant and pulled on his clothes to go and find the woman in question and see what she had to say for herself this morning.

/

Kate sat at the breakfast table reading The Sunday Times with a cup of tea and a half consumed punnet of blackberries when Daryl finally thudded downstairs.

She'd spent the last hour and a half anxiously thinking about Daryl and waiting for him to come and find her. It had occurred to her that despite trying to ignore things she had to at least admit to herself that she was developing feelings for Daryl. Which meant that more than ever she needed to be resolute. Last night was a moment of weakness. She wasn't ready for feelings. Ever.

"Mornin'," he finished buttoning his shirt as he stepped into the kitchen, announcing "I'm goin' huntin'."

She felt her heart quickening, a soft little sigh blowing through her lips as she enjoyed the sight of him like a lovesick teenage girl. Then she shook her head and ignored it. She was a grown woman not a girl. She carefully folded her paper in half and pulled her nightgown tight around herself like it might be a barrier to whatever it was about Daryl that was turning her into mush.

Before Kate could say a single word his hand was wrapping around hers as he pulled her into her arms to kiss her, sweeping her ever so slightly off the floor as her nightgown fell open and away from her shoulders.

"What are you doing?" she tried to sound annoyed but the words came out more like a whisper.

"Kissin' ya goodbye…" he kissed the back of her hand before his eyes locked with hers, "but I'll be seein' ya later when I come over an' cook ya dinner."

Kate pulled her hand from his and stepped away from him, "that's a little presumptive don't you think?"

He shrugged carelessly and he was smiling like he knew precisely how presumptive it was, "ya need to eat don't ya?"

"I might already have plans."

Daryl snorted, "ya don't have plans."

Kate let out a sharp annoyed huff, suddenly wishing she'd taken the time to dress this morning, "Perhaps I don't want to see you later," she spat.

"We both know that ain't true," his fingers ran along the cord of her nightgown tugging it open, "are ya always so goddamn difficult?"

She felt her temper start to bubble, there was nothing she hated more than being told how to behave or what to do. "You can't just climb in my bloody window and do…what…. you like… then invite yourself back over for dinner. It doesn't work like that, Daryl Dixon."

"I think that's exactly what ya want me to do," his hands invaded under her nightgown, wrapping around her waist as he tried to kiss her again but she pushed him off.

"You don't get to make my decisions," she protested, stepping around the table to get some distance from him. He made it impossible for her to think straight when he held her, kissed her or even stood within one foot of her.

"Ya only have a week left in Georgia an' I might never get what I really want from ya but I'll be damned if I don't spend the rest of this week with ya... an' makin' ya dinner, whether you let me in the door... or not."

Kate picked up the sport section of her paper and threw it at him, "you're a bloody lunatic. Get out of my house at once!" She figured the entire broadsheet might be a tad painful at full pelt.

Daryl sniggered, picking up her cup and downing the last of her tea with a devilish smile he said, "I'll see ya at seven _darlin'_."

"Well… I won't be here!" she shouted to his back as he retreated down the hall.

"Yeah ya will," he decided, giving her one long look before he shut the front door and was on his way.

Kate caught her foot on a kitchen chair and sent herself stumbling as she stormed over to the front door, flinging it open and glancing both ways down the street until she spotted him. "No I won't."

He didn't speak, he didn't turn around, just lit a cigarette and kept on walking.

/

Daryl made his way over to the strip club to get his truck then drove to the hotel to get Jim and Jason. When he stepped in the room that smelt of stale beer and sweat he felt his stomach tumbling over. Jason was curled on a two seater sofa, cuddling his hat while the rest of the bachelor party were sprawled everywhere else. He found Jim passed out in the bathroom, his entire body squeezed around the toilet.

"Rise and shine," Daryl kicked Jim's foot.

"Oh god," Jim groaned, his eyes bloodshot, his beard matted with… lumps.

"Ya ready to go shoot shit?" Daryl laughed knowing that Jim looked like he needed about 6 hours more sleep.

"Urgghh," jim squeezed his eyes shut and hugged the toilet, "I ain't feeling too good."

Daryl snorted, "clean ya face an' we can go get breakfast… bacon, eggs, mmm fried greasy breakfast..."

Jim heaved and brought up more of last nights indulgences. It was obviously going to take longer than anticipated to get out of this hotel and into the wilderness but Daryl waited patiently down in the lobby with a cup of coffee and a copy of some hunting magazine.

"I was wondering where you were," Irma called when the boys finally arrived at the farm for the start of their trip.

She'd packed them some snacks and made them sit down for a glass of ice tea before they set off.

"I can't believe all this is gonna be yours," Jim said as they walked across a field to where the trees started to form into forest.

"Who cares 'bout that, I wanna hear 'bout last night…" Jason grinned.

"What happened last night?" Jim said, rubbing his eyes which were still painfully red.

"I went to Kate's."

"He decided he weren't gonna take none of her shit…" Jason laughed, "you tell her that you're desperately in love with her?"

Daryl tripped on the undergrowth, "what?"

"Last night, when we were walkin' to her place you were sayin' you loved her, sayin' you were gonna tell her an' ask her to stay with you," Jason said and for the first time this morning Jim laughed.

"Well well, this is a pretty turn of events…"

"I was damn drunk… not _that_ damn drunk…" Daryl had considered saying those three words before deciding he had more chance of spending the night with her if he didn't say it. He'd already been horny as hell but the second he'd seen her in that little nightdress he'd been completely desperate. "I ain't gonna tell her anythin', she don't wanna hear it an'... I don't wanna look like an' idiot." At least no more stupid than she already made him look when he was hauling his ass up the side of a building for her.

"If you don't tell her you'll only regret it," Jason said.

"We all have our secrets, at least he's told his friends…" Jim said and Daryl just looked at them both.

"Am I missin' somethin' 'ere?"

"No, let's just get this over with," Jason snapped as he doubled checked his rifle and marched along the trail.

 _Sunday Evening_

Daryl knocked on Kate's front door and waited. He had no idea if she would actually be home but just hoped that she would. He wasn't sure how long he was waiting, it felt like a long time but it couldn't have been much since he held his breath for the duration until the door was opening and she was leaning one hand against the frame.

She was wearing a navy and white striped dress that didn't hug her figure like the ones she wore to work but it did stop mid thigh to give him a nice view of her smooth toned legs. She looked like she might have put that dress on because he was coming over.

"Ya 'ere then," he teased and like he knew she would she blushed.

"I didn't want you causing another scene…"

"Right," he stepped in the house, shutting the door behind him before he dropped the cooler box filled with dinner supplies down to his feet.

He reached out to hug her, his fingers brushing along her waist but it was the way her breathing halted, her body's reaction to his touch that made him want to kiss her. When his lips were pressed against hers and he was pulling her body against his he knew that he couldn't just kiss her. Dinner would have to wait.

They made out in the hallway like teenagers. Her arms wrapped around his neck, his hands cupped along her ass until he was commandeering her into the darkened living room. This was a great way to say hello, he decided as they fell onto the sofa to make out some more. He'd never quite enjoyed simply kissing someone so much as he did now. The way her lips felt against his, the way she tasted, the way her hands explored his body urging him closer, sending tingles straight to where his length pushed anxiously against his jeans.

He felt his way over her dress, fumbling for the zipper so he could ease her out of it just as she eased him out of his clothes until he was pushing inside her and they were making love on the sofa. Every thrust flanked by hot, heavy kisses until they were groaning, panting and utterly spent. Together they lay entangled, a layer of sweat glistening over their skin as his fingers slowly tickled along her spine. Kate's head rested against his chest, planting a small kiss over his heart before she let out a long contented sigh. He loved the sound of that sigh, he loved the way she felt in his arms right now.

Daryl nuzzled his face in her hair breathing in the smell and memorizing every inch of her as his eyes adjusted to the low light that was glowing from behind the heavy charcoal drapes. He couldn't help but stare at the shiny silver photo frames that sat in one corner of the room. He wasn't sure he was allowed to talk about those frames, yet his need to know everything about Kate made his mouth run away from his brain, "ya were real young… I mean… when ya got married an'..."

"Had a baby?" She sat up, peeling herself from his embrace, leaving his arms miserably empty.

"Yeah," he tapped his leg nervously. He wanted to know more but talking to Kate about this was intimidating. He didn't want to upset her or overstep the mark that only she knew the location of and he suddenly cursed himself for starting this conversation when he was completely naked, his flaccid penis between them.

"It wasn't planned. I didn't plan on having a child or getting married until my thirties," she said, but not unkindly as she reached for her panties and slipped them up her legs.

"So..." he stared at the picture of her husband before deciding he was going to need some pants on at the very least.

Kate sat cross legged in the corner of the sofa, a big silver velvet throw cushion covering her torso, "do you want to know about Ryan or Harry?"

"Ya don't have to tell me anythin'."

She cocked her head to the side and contemplated him for a moment, "but you're curious… I would be too."

"I just…" he placed his hand on her thigh, "I wanna know ya."

Kate licked her lips, her eyes getting a vague far off look that told him she was deciding what to say or deciding if she was going to say anything at all. "I met Ryan at University. We were in the same halls. He was… nice. When the first year finished... I couldn't go home for the summer. He invited me to stay with him at his parents…" she rolled her eyes, "second home."

"So ya…" he cleared his throat, "weren't his girl?"

Kate tucked her hair behind her ear and considered it for a moment, "I knew he had a crush on me. I knew that's why he was inviting me to stay with him." Her face changed. "Ryan and I dated on and off for a couple of years. Then we conceived Harry… and… I agreed to marry him."

"You didn't want to?"

"I wanted... to do the right thing. I used to think..." she stared at the photo's.

"What?"

She shook her head slightly, her brow creasing, "I don't know."

"Yeah ya do."

She turned to look at him, her big brown eyes turned down, "I used to wonder what my life would have been like if I never had a child. And now I know. Just like I wanted to..."

"Everybody thinks things they don't really mean." Daryl wondered where he was and exactly what he was doing all those years ago when Ryan was swooping to Kate's rescue and offering her a place to sleep, _his bed,_ the idea made his stomach turn over. "Why couldn't ya stay with yer folks?"

"Thats... a long story."

Daryl sat back in the sofa, " I ain't goin nowhere."

Kate rested her chin on the cushion she was clutching to and she looked so little. "My parents couldn't take care of me. It didn't really matter if I was a toddler or twenty one and heavily pregnant. Ryan could… so I let him. I'm not exactly proud of it."

"An' now ya can take care of yerself," he blurted, thinking of all the times she had demanded exactly that.

"Yeah..." she laughed, but her laugh was hard and bitter rather than glad of the fact. "Mostly… tell me something, a secret… you know all of mine..."

He reached for the cushion that she held in her arms and eased it to her lap before he lay his head there and it felt good, resting against her while her fingers raked gently through his hair. "When I was a kid... I got lost in the woods for nine days. I thought I was gonna die out there, and when I got home… nobody had even noticed I was gone."

Her eyes were wide, her fingers trailing along his hair stopped, "not even your Mum?"

"She died before that," he sighed heavily remembering the day, remembering the feeling, "she fell asleep, beer in one hand, cigarette in the other they reckoned. I remember watchin' the fire tear the whole house apart an' all I could think was... at least she didn't have to put up with my Daddy no more."

They both just looked at each other before she bent forward and kissed him, soft and light, her lips against his while the side of his face was pressed snugly against her breasts. "Do you want to do something crazy Mr Dixon?" she whispered, the glint of mischief in her eyes.

* * *

A/N- Thank you for reading! Glad you all enjoyed the last chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Jeanf- I love that you found some custard but I just hope you're not too disappointed. I do wonder if its the sort of thing you have to grow up with to appreciate. Cake and custard is like comfort food, it reminds me of primary school dinners. I like it best on sticky toffee pudding in the winter time or you could use the powder to make custard cream biscuits which go lovely with a cup of tea ;)


	31. Crossing the Line

_Sunday Night_

Two hours in a car with Kate was a long time and Daryl was enjoying every second of having her all to himself. No distractions, just the road and the hum of his truck as she drove along, her delicate hands wrapped around the worn old wheel. She'd changed into a pair of faded blue jeans, ripped at the knees from years of wear, her old converse and a loose white v neck t-shirt before they left the house. Now as they drove along with the window wound down, and the last of the sunshine lighting up the I-20 before it skipped into the cabin to dance off her glossy ponytail, he decided she looked like she belonged with him in this old truck. It was moments like these when he remembered exactly why he spent so much time chasing her runaway ass. And why he was in love with her.

"I need a break," Kate yawned, stretching her neck and making a girly little groan as she pulled off the interstate at Augusta, trailing down the road until she spotted a twenty four hour diner, all lit up with a cluster of cars parked out front. They hopped out of his truck and Daryl wrapped his arm around Kate's waist as they stepped across the tarmac and onto the black and white tiled floor of the diner. She picked a booth by the window. Dark blue leather seats with white piping and grey formica table tops were spotted around the diner which looked like many others he had been to, although he'd never been to one in Augusta.

The server, Meghan, a long gone grey haired lady in a yellow waitress dress and a white apron poured them a cup of coffee in bright white mugs before leaving them to deliberate the menu.

"I could drive the rest of the way," he offered.

"I know, but I want to… take you somewhere," she said that with a smile and he liked the sound of it. It was nice to be on an adventure of her design.

Daryl ordered cherry pie a la mode and Kate stuck with her mug of black coffee although he caught the envious look that crossed her face when his pie was set down on the table in all its glossy red syrupy goodness. Without too much consideration he gave her the first bite and then the second since he thought she looked sexy as hell taking a mouthful from his fork.

"This is the point of no return, Mr Dixon" Kate announced as she sipped her second cup of coffee. "If we keep going then we'll have to skive off work tomorrow."

"Skive?"

She leaned forward, her eyes filled with mischief, "pull a sickie."

Daryl snorted and tried to contain the buzz of bees that she stirred up, she was so adorable and just the right amount of wild. He had been wondering about work as Kate had raced his truck down route 20 to destinations unknown, but he hadn't worried enough to stop her. When a beautiful woman wants to take you somewhere it's customary to say yes, regardless of consequences. He took a mouthful of pie and chuckled to himself between chews, "ya know it was your idea to get a tattoo, an' now ya want me to bunk off work…"

Kate bit the smile on her lips, her big puppy dogs eyes looking like butter wouldn't melt. Except he'd heard her swearing like a drunken sailor and she had a fiery temper on her when she got going so he knew she'd definitely melt the whole block of butter.

"You're a naughty girl. Definitely a bad influence on me..." he teased.

Her leg brushed deliberately against his under the table as she leaned forward resting her chin in her hand, "so what do you want to do? Be naughty with me or go home and be a good boy?"

There was really only one answer to that question, his grin spread wide across his face, "where we goin'?"

She grinned, "out of Georgia." Then Kate finished her cup of coffee, fished her phone from her purse and snuck outside to make a call while he watched her like a hawk as though someone might up and steal her away. Or more likely, she might change her damn mind and run away with her own two stubborn feet.

 _Out of Georgia_ , destinations unknown, the idea excited him and he was glad he was going to share his first trip across state lines with her. He wasn't sure why he had never left before because right now in this random little diner on an impromptu road trip with Miss Uppity it all seemed like the most natural thing in the world. Although he couldn't help but think that all he wanted to do was keep this intrepid woman in Georgia and she was showing him just how easy it was for her to leave.

/

Kate had called a couple of hotels and made a booking so they didn't have to spend Daryl's first little holiday in the back of his sex truck. Then they had chased Route 78 all the way to Charleston, South Carolina.

Just before they crossed the state line Kate pulled over for a commemorative kiss as she whispered, "there's no going back now Mr Dixon."

There was a couple more hours of driving. She was determined to do the whole way since she'd been laughed at for moaning to an American colleague from a previous museum when she said Manchester to London was an arduous 4 hour drive if she wanted to visit Isy. Apparently a 4 hour of drive in the US was considered "nothing."

The hotel was on the waterfront, surrounded by palmettos and affording what she was sure would be beautiful views except by the time they arrived it had long gone dark. Even in the dead of night the pink stucco walls of the plantation style house glowed under hazy yellow spotlights that were dotted around the grounds and flanking the white double door. The doors led into a huge entry way with a chandelier glistening brightly and a sweeping staircase standing dramatically as if it was waiting for a woman in a hooped skirt to come waltzing down to meet her beau.

Daryl had grabbed the bags from the back of his truck. One was a brown leather holdall which she had thrown together moments after deciding they should go do something crazy and the other had already been in the flatbed of his truck when they had gone outside. She hadn't mentioned it but it had occurred to her that he might have brought an overnight bag to her house before she had agreed or made any mention on his staying over. Of course, he was getting exactly what he wanted because no matter how hard she tried to resist him, he was a very persistent man and it was very difficult to refuse something you actually wanted no matter how hard you tried. So now she wasn't resisting anymore.

"Mr and Mrs Dixon?" the concierge asked as they approached the front desk and she felt heat rising in her cheeks. She'd booked the room under Dixon because using her married name for a romantic trip with Daryl felt weird.

"Kate," she said with a smile as the man stepped from behind his desk.

The concierge had waited up extra late for them was very gracious considering the hour and she gave him a healthy tip after he led them to their room which was on the top floor of the hotel. When the door was shut behind them Kate ran across it to fling open the balcony doors and let in the sound of the waves lapping along the shoreline before she turned to see Daryl leaning against the elegant four poster bed.

"Ya didn't have to pay," he said.

"I wanted to." Part of her loved that he wanted to be a gentlemen who paid for the dates but at the same time, "money's not important."

"What _is_ important?"

That was a loaded question.

Kate's mind scrambled for an answer. "Well," she beckoned him onto the balcony, "tomorrow we're going to wake up in a strange place and have a whole stolen day to do whatever the hell we want… in fact..." she kicked off her converse and stood on her tiptoes so she could kiss his lips and bring the butterflies to full flutter, "we have the rest of the night to do whatever we want."

 _Monday Morning_

When Daryl woke up, Kate was still nestled snug in his arms. It was as nice as he had imagined to wake up with her soft little body pressed besides him. This was what was important, this was why Jim was marrying Charlene, Daryl suddenly felt a pang of jealousy that his friend got to feel this way every single morning.

He stroked his hand along her hair and she began to stir, one eye half opening before she nestled her head in the pillow and groaned, "can't morning wait a little longer?"

"No Ma'am," he kissed her shoulder, a smile prying at his lips as he recollected the exact reasons why she looked so exhausted right now and the reasons why his muscles felt spent and worn in, all of him except one part that was feeling greedy for more. Always more with Kate.

He ran his fingers along her back before kissing her shoulder again, inhaling in the sweet smell of her perfume mixed with the musky smell of a night spent making love. She sighed, rolled onto her side and fluffed the pillow under her head as she nestling the curve of her ass against him. Pressing herself right against his morning wood and then feeling of her bare skin touching him sent a jolt of pleasure along the whole length.

He wanted nothing more than to plunge himself right inside her so he could feel how good it would be without a barrier between them, he settled for grinding against her. One of his hands cupped her breast, rolling her nipple between his fingers until she groaned and his other hand responded by slipping between her thighs, stroking lightly before dipping inside, wetting the tips of his fingers so his stroke was smoother, dirtier. Kate's groans became more desperate as he sucked at her neck and ran his tongue along every inch of skin he could reach.

He loved the sound of her enjoying his every touch, every moan that passed her lips sent a flood of warmth to his groin, encouraging him to slip inside. It would be so easy and he almost let his cock do the thinking, but he didn't. He rolled away leaving her panting for more as he found his last condom and rolled it on. He didn't want her to fall apart without being rooted inside of her to feel every clench of her walls tightening.

He pulled Kate against him and filled every inch, gently rocking his hips, enjoying every lazy sleeping thrust as his fingers continued stroking until she was burying her face into the pillow, almost muffling her euphoric cries. The sound of her falling apart was enough to encourage him along and he came hard, squeezing her whole body against his as his face buried into the smell of her hair, "oh Kate," he shuddered and for a split second he almost said 'I love you'.

 _Jesus_ , if he was going to say it, it probably would be best if he wasn't inside her at the time. But he was still inside her right now, he liked holding her right against him as they both floated back down from their high. One thing was certain, Daryl could definitely get used to waking up like this.

/

Daryl was in the shower when Kate rang Lou, "I'm with daryl," she said after explaining that she wasn't coming into work today. She didn't lie to him, he understood and he'd taken the odd day off work too. Lou actually sounded pleased as he chuckled and insisted "say no more lass," before he hung up the phone.

She finished the last of her tea from the breakfast tray they had ordered from room service and then slipped her feet into her Birkenstocks. She was wearing a kneelengh sundress, spaghetti straps and little buttons down the front, the fabric was mostly black with a pattern of pink and red roses scattered about it. Wearing it made her think of daryl's tattoo and thinking about his tattoo made her think about his body and thinking about that made her feel a little weak at the knees. She let out a long unsteady breath and tried to pull herself together which was entirely impossible as she ran her hands over his clothes.

Daryl was going to be wearing his work shirt, trousers and shoes which had been packed in the cheeky overnight bag he'd brought to her house. Luckily the insignia was only present on his hat and tie. She picked up his shirt and held it against her chest with another little sigh. Being here with Daryl and last night with Daryl had been so nice, more than nice, it felt so good, she felt so good. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this sated.

She heard the shower spray falling quiet and waited with bated breath, as she leaned casually (at least tried to be casual) against the vanity table, for him to emerge. He had a towel wrapped around his torso, beads of water running happily all over his skin and he looked every inch of sex on legs. She wondered now why she had put any clothes back on because all she wanted to do was take them off and fall back into bed with him.

"I worked out an itinerary..." he passed a leaflet from the small pile of leaflets that were scattered around the bed and Kate bit back her laugh.

 _An itinerary,_ it seemed rather uncharacteristic, he seemed more of a fly by the seat of his pants sort. Although she'd found him eagerly looking through the leaflets after she'd finished her shower. She'd thought it was cute and the excited look on his face as he pulled on his clothes looked equally cute. She hadn't thought he'd been the sight seeing type since he'd never been on holiday before and it was a pleasant surprise. Travelling was one of her favorite things to do and that's why she was here with him right now because she wanted to share something good with him.

/

First they walked along the beach, hand in hand like they were a couple and it was the most natural thing in the world. Then they walked into town and explored the huge market that had stall after stall selling homemade items of every variety as well as antiques and collectables. Kate bought soap, it was such a woman's thing to buy and the seller handed it to her in a bright pink paper bag which over the course of the afternoon had found its way into his hand along with two more. Despite himself he liked carrying her bags.

They grabbed sandwiches to eat in Battery Park as they sat on a wrought iron bench under an oak tree draped in Spanish moss. "I love that," Kate had said, "we don't have Spanish moss in England, it's pretty… whimsical."

Spanish moss made Daryl think of chiggers and lord knows what else that nested in the stuff. One time a family of bats had built a home in the moss that covered the trees around his Daddy's house. His father had taken a rifle to the tree. The bats didn't stay long and the tree hadn't fared too well either but Will Dixon was nothing if not a complete drunken idiot.

"Did any Dixon's fight in the Civil War?" Kate asked when Fort Sumpter came into view as they strolled through the park and back towards the waterfront.

"Yeah, my Granddaddy's, great Grandpa" he screwed his face, "I think it was that many greats. Anyway, he survived, came home and married his girl and had a bunch of babies. My Grandaddy used to say that Grandpa Sam had buried some confederate gold on the farm."

Kate laughed, her eyes dancing, "have you looked for it?"

"My Grandaddy had a LOT of crazy stories."

"We should get a metal detector."

"Probably find a whole load of horse shoes and bottle caps."

Kate leaned on the railings, watching a host of little white boats bobbing on the clear blue horizon and he thought about taking a picture of her. He'd never taken a photograph of anyone but today had been the kind of day where people took pictures and stuck them on their fridge. Jim and Charlene's fridge was covered in photographs like this.

He leaned against the railing and like he always preferred when he was with Kate he watched her watching the world go by. He loved the way her hair caught in the wind and her eyes danced about to chase the little boats. She caught him looking, a shy little laugh escaped her mouth and the sound of it went straight to his chest, squeezing his heart until he could barely breathe.

"I wish ya weren't leavin'," he blurted as she turned to look across the water once more. It wasn't just because he loved her, it was because he had the sudden inexplicable feeling that this crazy English woman might be the best friend he'd ever have despite the fact that she was the least obvious choice of woman for him. He felt connected to Kate for reasons that he couldn't exactly put into words except that she got him. He liked to think he understood her too, except he was almost certain he'd never truly understand what went on in her head but he kind of like that.

He didn't know if she had heard what he said because if she had then she didn't react. She just kept watching those boats and her hair kept blowing on the breeze.

"Me too," she whispered so long after his remark that he might have forgotten what he had been talking about if the topic hadn't been the one that had gripped him almost every day since he had first kissed her, even before then. He wanted to believe that he could let her leave and carry on as if they had never met but he was quickly realising that would be impossible.

"Kate-"

"We should go for dinner," she added suddenly, strolling away like she didn't have a single care in the world while he stood rooted to the spot on the brink of not only asking her to stay but begging her. The words and the pleading had been on the very verge of release but he forced them back down. He didn't want to spoil the day, it had been so perfect and he wanted his memory of it to be perfect. So he just followed her and tried to pretend that he didn't have a care in the world.

Kate picked a seafood restaurant where they sat outside under a white parasol with crab soup to start and a pitcher of peach ice tea between them even though Kate had eyed up the cocktails, pointing out one called Southern Gentleman with a sexy little grin. It made him wish they were staying in the hotel for another night, or a whole week of nights.

"Why'd ya bring me to Charleston?" There was a million places they could have gone and there were closer places to cross state lines.

"I looked at the map on my phone and this was a place I'd heard of… and," she laughed before she did her best Southern Belle drawl, "Rhett Butler is from Charleston."

"Rhett Butler?"

Kate gave him a pointed look, "Gone with the Wind."

"Right," he probably should have known that.

"Don't you watch many movies?"

"Not really. 'Specially not Gone with the Wind," Daryl laughed, he could just picture it now, all the Dixon men sitting around his Daddy's crappy old TV watching a damn girls movie.

"It 's one of my favourites, and it's set in Georgia. It gives a girl ideas about a Southern Gentleman coming along and sweeping me right off my feet."

"It does..."

"But then… Rhett Butler is from Charleston so I should probably start looking around here," she craned her neck and glanced around the other tables with a little smile pulling at her lips.

Daryl wondered if she knew how crazy she made him before deciding she definitely did. "Miss Katy," she looked at him then, "if any other _Gentleman_ got an' idea 'bout sweepin' ya off yer feet then he would be gettin' a damn bolt in his ass."

Kate giggled, her long lashes fluttering before she returned to her soup with a coy smile.

The soup was delicious, best he'd ever had, he almost licked the bowl clean when he had finished but decided Miss Uppity wouldn't approve of that. Instead he asked, "will ya come to the wedding' with me on Saturday?"

Kate sipped her tea, her big brown eyes flicking to meet his with her usual level of hesitation.

"It ain't exactly my sorta thing," Daryl added.

"Why?"

"Standin' in front of everyone, wearin' a tux… I have to do a speech. If you're there then I won't be thinkin' 'bout anythin' cept how pretty ya look…" which was true but mostly, "an' what I'm gonna do to ya when the weddin' day is finished..."

She flushed deep rosy pink, her eyes downcast to her lap as she let the flush subside and he had no idea how she could still get that cute little glow after the things he'd seen her do. But he supposed it was because in this restaurant she was a lady and in the bed she was… a lot of different things. "How could I refuse?" she said eventually.

 _Damn woman_ , couldn't even say 'yes', he rolled his eyes and held in his laugh. "Oh I'm sure you'd find a way darlin'."

"Don't tempt me Mr Dixon."

Eternally stubborn as a goddamn mule. If he could tempt her he definitely would, except not in the way she was thinking. He'd tempt her to stay with him in Georgia, live on his farm and start handing out invitations to their wedding instead of somebody else's. _Thier wedding_ , he could hardly believe that the consideration was crossing his mind but when he thought about it, he would marry Kate if he could get her down the aisle. He was certain he'd never feel this way about another woman.

When dinner was finished they picked up some takeaway coffees, a bag of potato chips and a bottle of mountain dew for the long drive back. He didn't mind having a long drive except for the fact that he wanted nothing more than to get his hands under the little summer dress he'd watched her sashaying around in all day. He took the driver's seat after securing the bags in the back.

"I don't want to leave," Kate said with a sleepy sigh as she sipped her paper cup of coffee.

His head whipped around to look at her and just as he was about to say she could live with him on the farm she continued, "I just can't be arsed getting up for work tomorrow."

Daryl cleared his throat, his heart was beating like crazy, "yeah." _Of course_ , he didn't want to go back either. He wanted to stay on holiday with her and forget that the rest of the world was ticking by.

But more than anything he wanted to discuss what was going to happen after Sunday rolled around. Part of him wanted to tell her exactly how he felt but the other part of him was enjoying how easy it was between them without any pressure. Still, she'd brought him here and it had to mean something, right?


	32. Tuesday

_Tuesday morning_

Daryl was called into Mr Blake's office as soon as his boss turned up for work. He didn't need to be a genius to guess what they were going to talk about.

He took a seat in the deep leather chair opposite Mr Blake's desk and tried to look nonplussed.

"You had a day off yesterday."

"Yeah."

"Food poisoning?"

The question sounded more like an accusation and the way Mr Blake's eyes were narrowed looked like a challenge. "Yeah," Daryl bit his cheek, part of him wanted to laugh out loud.

"Dr. Ashwood had a day off too."

He sat back in the chair and considered his words like he hadn't spent the entire of last night and the night before having sex with Dr. Ashwood, "did she?"

Mr Blake tilted his head, "I don't have any proof of anything thing time but I want to remind you that security guards come and go and you are now hanging by a thread. It's bad enough that you would risk your job but to pull others into your misconduct reflects very poorly on yourself and your judgement, do you understand?"

Of course any wrong doings would just _have_ to be Daryl's idea. He grit his teeth and took the verbal slap on the wrist without rolling his eyes or saying any of the things that sprung to mind. He didn't give a crap what Mr Blake thought, he wouldn't have given up his trip to Charleston for the world but at the same time he needed the money from this job to help him set up the farm. "I understand."

Mr Blake's smile was smug, his eyes dark as they held each other's gaze in silence before Daryl decided the conversation was over and took his leave walking straight to the exhibition hall. All he wanted to do was find his naughty little temptress of a woman and give her his own version of a wrist slap.

She looked pretty as a picture but he already knew that since he'd woken up in her bed, shared a shower with her, made her eggs for breakfast and drove her to work this morning.

"Fancy seeing you here," she said as she flicked through a stack of notes all stapled together.

"Yer bad conduct is reflecting poorly on the museum and yer judgement, now what ya gonna do 'bout that?"

"You got called into the headmaster's office?" Kate's grin was shameless.

"Well don't look so sorry, ya might make me feel bad," he beckoned her to a corner of the hall where he knew there was a blind spot in the camera and pushed her against the wall, one hand grabbing her breast while his lips crushed against hers.

"Ah hem."

Daryl stepped quickly away from Kate and turned to see Lou leaning with both hands on his cane, his face as red as a beetroot.

"Mornin'" he offered weakly. It felt like he'd been walked in on by Kate's Daddy and after having his tongue down her throat and his thumb brushing her nipple. "I'll be um…" he cleared his throat and avoided eye contact with the old man, "goin' on my rounds."

Before he walked away he looked back to Kate, "see ya later darlin'."

She blushed and he couldn't wait for their shifts to be over so he could go back to her house and carry on what they had just started. But first he would have to swing by Jim and Charlene's to pick up some more clothes since right now he was going commando and had changed into the spare shirt from his locker. The only good thing about not wearing any boxers was Kate had decided to make him feel better about the situation by not wearing any panties. As if her figure hugging little dress didn't drive him wild enough already, now when he saw her he knew just what wasn't underneath the tantalising hemline. He shifted his trousers and wondered how he would make it through the day with a near constant tent between his legs.

/

"I said no strippers," Charlene shouted at Daryl the very moment she stepped through the front door with a sheepish looking Jim hot on her heels. He'd already packed a bag of clothes for Kate's house and instead of heading straight over he'd decided to wait so he could check in with his friends but now he was wishing he hadn't bothered.

"Gimme a damn break," Daryl grunted. _Jesus_ , the bachelor party had been days ago and to him it felt like a lifetime.

"And where the hell have you been? Nobody has seen you since Sunday afternoon," she continued.

"I've been with Kate."

Charlene threw her hands in the air, "oh good lord! I cannot keep up with you two. I thought she didn't want anything to do with you and now you're telling me you have spent the past two nights in her bed?"

"Somethin' like that," he poured a cup of coffee and held up the pot to offer a cup to the others as he asked, "can I bring 'er to ya weddin'?"

Charlene folded her arms over her chest, eyebrows raised high, "oh I dunno, are you guys still gonna be talking by Saturday?"

"Its different this time." Kate wasn't pushing him away or running, she was letting him in even if she hadn't mentioned anything about changing her plans and staying. "An' whats with all the damn questions?"

Charlene started to get red in the face enough to match her red hair and Daryl regretted his tone of voice. He'd noticed she was a little tetchy these past couple of weeks and the boys had agreed it had to be pregnancy hormones although they didn't say that to Charlene, they didn't dare say a thing to Charlene.

"Its times like these," Jim declared, throwing his hat down on the kitchen table and wrapping his pregnant fiancee in his arms, "I'm so glad I have you and you're walking down the aisle with me on Saturday."

Daryl looked away while they shared a kiss. It was times like these where he realised he needed to man up and make Kate his.

/

Kate changed out of her work clothes into a pair of black and white shorts and a black cami before she took a seat on the sofa to skype with Isy. She liked to think she was calling her friend merely to gossip but truthfully she was calling her friend because the anticipation of Daryl coming over to cook her dinner was driving her crazy so she needed a distraction.

"5 more days! I'm planning your homecoming!" Isy chimed, her dark eyes filled with enthusiasm.

"What plans?" Kate prayed it was nothing ostentatious.

"Drinking, dancing, hopefully lots of shameful behaviour, all the girls the Saturday after you come home. I even invited Sarah. But I want dinner with you on Monday night first! It'll be just like old times."

"I already have plans on Monday," Kate sighed, "with Jessica."

"The evil witch? The mother in law from hell? Why?" Isy exclaimed.

"She wants to talk, and what can I say? Your son's gone so you're not my problem anymore."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

Although the thought had occurred, in fact the very idea had almost tumbled straight out of her mouth when she had spoken to her a few days ago, "I can't do that. I'll meet her, get it out of the way. Then we can have dinner the next night?"

Isy's face fell and she leaned closer to the screen, "what is it?"

"What's what?" Kate asked.

"Oh come on K! You've had a face like a slapped arse this entire conversation… you're not as excited about your homecoming as I am..."

"I _am_ excited."

"Right…" she drew out the word, "now try saying it with enthusiasm…"

"It's just…" Kate covered her face with her hands, "I'm so fucking stupid Isy!"

"Well I already know that and I still love you, so what's the _real_ problem?"

"The problem is this," she held up her phone and a picture she'd taken of Daryl when he wasn't looking.

"Oh…" Isy's tongue touched the corner of her mouth, "now there's a dish I wouldn't mind eating. Is that your redneck cowboy security guard?"

"Mmm hmm…" she sighed, "I tried to make him piss off and leave me alone."

"And what did he say?"

"He said no." Kate mimicked Daryl in the most ridiculous way possible, "I'm comin' round if ya let me in the door or not."

"Did you let him in?"

Kate held up the picture again, "of course I bloody did. In fact, I've let him in every night since."

"So you're in love with him?"

"Don't say that! I like him, I care about him but I refuse to fall in love with someone I've known for seven and a half weeks. We didn't even talk for most of it!"

"Oh I bet you didn't," Isy's man eating grin appeared.

"Please don't take the mick. I'm anxious enough about everything as it is. I'm dreading getting on the plane and saying goodbye then I remind myself that I've only just met him and feel stupid for getting so worked up about it. Right now it's infatuation, the honeymoon stage, I can't trust what I'm feeling. If we were in England we could let the dust settle and see how we felt when everything was more… real."

Kate knew the honeymoon stage never lasts for long and that cute little quirks of character could end up being irritating niggles that drive you slowly insane. Ryan always left his soggy towels on the bed, incidentally he never made the bed either, and if she had told him once she had told him a thousand times. Over time it made her more furious than was probably healthy and after a night of waking up with a teething Harry and a day of trying to write a paper for her masters degree she had found a towel just lying in a soggy pile on _her_ side of the bed. She'd gone ballistic, grabbing almost every item of Ryan's clothing, shoes, underwear, everything and thrown it all outside into the pouring down rain.

"Why doesn't he come to England with you?"

"He's not a stray cat, I can't just bring him home. He's got his own life here."

"You have your own life in England. Has he asked you to stay?"

"No." Would Daryl do that? Would he want to do that? The idea of having a conversation like that scared the shit out of her.

"And if he did?"

"I don't know," Kate yanked her hands through her hair, sucking in short frantic breaths.

"You'd have to give up everything. Friends, family, your career… you'd be so far away from everyone and everything. Not to mention, you will be an illegal immigrant as of next week."

"Way to lay it on with a bloody shovel. I already know how huge it would be. Can we talk about something else a while?" Talking about staying with Daryl and leaving Daryl was making her feel like she was on the brink of a panic attack.

"I just don't' want you to make a huge mistake. God knows I've followed my fanny to some pretty stupid situations."

" _Isy_ we have a conversation that doesn't involve your vagina?"

Isy's brazen smile answered the question without a need for words, "I met someone…"

Kate and Isy discussed the new man in her life until the doorbell rang and Daryl was here. She quickly said her goodbyes then snapped her laptop shut before taking a deep breath as she tried to ignore all the feelings that had started to swirl over the past few days. Then she opened the door and any control over her feelings was gone.

"Hey," Daryl rasped in the way that made even a simple hello sound like a seduction. He wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her against him and kissed her until she could barely remember her own name let alone the reasons why they couldn't always be together.

"Hey," she stared at his face, memorizing him from the slight curve of his lip to the exact shade of blue lighting up his eyes, "I've missed you," her heart admitted before her head could stop her.

"I've only been gone a couple of hours."

Kate's gaze dropped, her cheeks filled with embarrassment and she had the distinct feeling that she had revealed far too much, far more than she was comfortable with, "stupid, right?"

"No," he lifted her chin so their eyes were level, "I've missed you too."

She melted, her heart skipped along like a hummingbird's wings and from the corner of her eye she spotted what he was holding in his other hand. "You brought me flowers," she could hardly contain her delight in the jumble of wildflowers that were tied together with blue string.

"Mr Flannigan's garden is lookin' a little bare now but he was always a mean old bastard."

Her eyes went wide, "you stole these from an old man?"

"I might have appropriated them."

"Daryl Dixon! I'm not having a stolen bouquet."

"I'm jokin' woman." Daryl grinned, giving her arse a gentle squeeze followed by a light slap. "Mr Flannigan let me have them after I helped him fix his screen door. But he really is a mean old bastard. He says the flowers are too…" Daryl sniggered, " _cheerful,_ so he wanted them gone and I thought they would be prettier next to you."

Kate pushed away from him with a roll of her eyes while Daryl grinned looking far too pleased with himself. "Where did you get that line from?"

"You're all the inspiration I need darlin'," his grin grew even more devilish before he bent down and flung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes before carrying her to the kitchen to sit her on the counter. The flowers dropped in a pile besides her, stray petals filling the marble worktop. "Ya can watch me cook dinner."

The strap of her cami slipped down her arm. Daryl's attention was captured immediately as his rough fingers wrapped around the delicate material and gently smoothed it back into place. Kate leaned forward and kissed him before sucking his bottom lip.

"It's gonna be hard to concentrate" he groaned between kisses, his hands sliding up her thighs, the tips of his fingers tucking under her cotton shorts. It was going to be hard for Kate to just sit and watch him cook when he made her feel like _this_ ; hot, flutterly, needy. She wanted to take him upstairs and play desert island in her bed

"Maybe we should order pizza instead?" she purred as she wrapped her legs around him, holding his body against hers as her fingers worked his buttons.

Daryl groaned, pulling her hands away from their task, "I would. Lord knows I want nothing more than to throw ya ass on the bed, the sofa, the table…" his breath shuddered, "other places… but I wanna... cook ya a special dinner."

She pouted and lay across the counter, her hand stroking along her thigh as he busied himself with the cooler box of food he had sequestered to her fridge the other night. No matter how hard he tried to stare into the box, she knew she had him. She could see every flick of his attention falling to her until he cleared his throat and stomped back over, pulling her off the counter like she weighed no more than a feather.

"Maybe on second thoughts ya should just run along an' do whatever it is ya normally do an' stop distractin' me with all this." His eyes roved her body in appreciation and she felt the heat building between her legs at just the feel of his gaze caressing her. Then he went back to his preparations and she gave in. For now. It was sweet that he wanted to cook her a special dinner even if she would rather just have wine and sex.

There was no way she could do what she normally did. She wasn't ready for all her feminine mysteries to be revealed. And by mysteries she was really thinking her slobby little ways which included lying on the sofa with a tub of ice cream, wearing a pair of old yoga pants and an equally worn Led Zeppelin t shirt while watching re-runs of Cold Feet.

Instead she asked, "would you like a glass of wine?"

Daryl nodded and Kate found the corkscrew to open a bottle of Merlot which she poured into two big glasses before grabbing her laptop and sitting at the breakfast table. She began to check her emails and at least try to look busy as she watched, with interest, every single move he made until he was serving up and joining her. He flicked off the kitchen lights in favour of lighting a collection of candles which he had gathered from around her house.

Then he placed the the flowers in the centre of the table and it was all very sweet, like he was wooing her except she had already been wooed.

"It smells delicious," she said before staring at the meat in the gravy, "what is it?"

"Try it."

She looked at him, "what is it?"

"Just try it."

Kate tilted her head to the side, a wry smile covering her face, "it's not road kill is it?"

Daryl snorted, "what's wrong with road kill?"

She was certain he was serious with that statement and her stomach tumbled over, "this is from the side of a road?"

"No, I didn't find any road kill. Got this from a tree."

Kate jabbed her fork into a piece of meat, "oh, so it's a bird?"

"Nope. Squirrel. Well, actually it's four squirrels. There ain't much meat on one."

She stared at the meat, her hunger becoming something closer to nausea, "because they're so tiny and lovable?"

"Ya ever been bit by a squirrel?"

She gave him a pointed look and he laughed, declaring, "they ain't that loveable."

The idea of eating squirrel repulsed her for no real reason except she liked squirrels. But then she also liked lamb chops and cumberland sausages so refusing squirrel would make her a total hypocrite. Poor Daryl, he'd gone to so much effort so she could hardly push the plate away like a fussy toddler. She brought the meat to her lips and took a bite.

"Well? What ya think city girl?"

"It's… _okay_."

Daryl snorted and scooped a big forkful into his mouth before telling her, "eat what ya can, I'll still like ya even if ya don't appreciate my catching an' cookin' ya a nice ass meal."

 _Squirrel_ , never in her life had a date caught, killed and cooked her a creature. Let alone a loveable little woodland one. She ate carefully around her plate until she realised Daryl wasn't eating, or talking, or doing anything. He was just sitting, staring. She caught his eye and watched him swallow hard, his adam's apple bobbing.

"I can't eat if you're not," Kate joked but his stare never wavered as he set his fork down and slipped his hand across the table to take the fork from her fingers and hold her hand.

"Kate," the way he said her name made her heart stop and her breath catch in her throat as she looked from the meal to the candles to the flowers sitting in the vase and then the look on his face. "Kate I-"

"Don't," she insisted. _Oh god_ , maybe he was trying to woo her. Maybe he was going to say something.

His grip tightened on her hand, "don't what?"

She pulled away from his touch, her mind running for an impossible answer, "don't make this complicated."

/

Daryl forced himself to ignore every impulse that told him it was a stupid idea to tell Kate how he felt. "It already is complicated," that ship had long sailed away.

"No it isn't," she stood up, that vulnerable look that he loved so much when she was riding a horse was now etched all over her face and from the slight twitch in her leg he thought she might bolt at any moment.

Daryl had to say it, whether she wanted to hear it or not he had to tell her, "I'm in love-"

"No you're not," she interrupted, slowly backing away.

Daryl let out a low groan as he stood from his chair and wondered exactly why he had to fall for the most difficult goddamn woman he'd ever met. "Jesus Christ woman. Enough is enough." He jumped around the table until he could wrap his hands around the tops of her arms and stop her from running away. "I can't play this game with you no more."

"Daryl-"

"No," he was going to say what he wanted, to hell with her complications and her interruptions. "I'm in love with ya," he paused and the air hung heavy around them, "I love ya so damn much that the thought of never seein' ya again, never kissin' ya again. Jesus Kate, it fuckin' hurts."

"Daryl-"

"Woman, I just can't keep it in anymore. I want ya to move here, live with me on the farm, have a life with me and be all mine. I know that ain't exactly what ya got planned but… dammit plans change."

"I have to leave, my visa is expiring on Monday."

"Then marry me," he blurted.

"What?" Kate pulled out of his arms and walked across the kitchen, bracing herself against the side, "i'm not getting married for a visa, fucking hell."

"Go home, get another visa and come back."

"No."

"Why not?"

"What if I don't want to move to the states? Do you want to move to the UK?"

"Ya know I can't."

"Then we're at an impasse aren't we? I wish I didn't have to leave but that's life. I tried to tell you but you wouldn't listen. This isn't a fairy tail. More than most people we both know that."

"But I love ya… does that means nothin' to ya?" he laughed miserably, "course it don't. People probably just fall in love with ya all the damn time," he shouted, feeling like a complete fool for admitting the truth. He wasn't the first man to love Kate and no doubt there would be more so what did it bother her to leave.

"Of course they bloody don't, and what does it matter how I feel? It doesn't change the facts."

"It matters to me," he strode across the kitchen, placing his hands either side of the counter so she was locked in, "how do ya feel?"

/

Kate's heart was pounding, her palms were sweaty and she was second guessing every word that came out of her mouth. She hadn't expected him to just come out and say everything. "I don't know."

"Don't bullshit me."

She huffed and pulled her gaze away from his eyes that were looking right through her as if he knew exactly what she felt. She wanted to believe she didn't know how she felt but right now she knew it was a lie. At some point she'd fallen and he had caught her. She loved him. Kate loved Daryl just like he loved her. "I'm not going to say it," she pushed his arm but it wouldn't budge. "Please," she didn't want to look at his face, she was sure if she did then she would be lost. "I can't."

He sighed and let her move away before he walked out of the room and pulled his jacket off the hook in the hall.

She followed him as a huge lump built in her throat, "I don't want you to leave."

Daryl looked at her and ran his hand along her hair before wrapping it around the back of her neck and pulling her lips to his, "I don't wanna leave but I can't stay an'... spend another night lovin' ya if ya don't love me back."

She bit her lip and watched him step away looking like a puppy dog that had just taken a beating.

"What about tomorrow? Are we going to go back to not talking, I don't want that."

"I dunno," he wiped his hand across his face, "I ain't exactly had this problem before."

Kate stepped in to where he had moved away and wrapped her arms around him before pressing her cheek to his chest so she could hear the soft thuds of his heart. She felt sick, on the verge of crying, this wasn't supposed to be happening until Sunday night when they said goodbye forever. She tried to swallow the big lump in her throat, the last thing she wanted to do was burst out crying in front of him.

"Ya ain't exactly makin' this easy," Daryl's lips pressed to the top of her head and then he peeled her arms from his body and stepped away again but this time he went all the way out the door then shut it behind him.

Kate took a seat on the bottom of her staircase, leaning her head against the banister as she allowed herself to cry.


	33. That Friday Feeling

_Friday Afternoon_

"If Daryl is avoiding me because of the other day," Lou chuckled, "well, let's just say I didn't think you two spent your evenings playing draughts."

"Draughts would have been a safer option," Kate mumbled as sat against one of the crates that had arrived in the morning.

"I'm just saying, I was young once… I understand..."

"He's not avoiding you. He's avoiding me." She'd tried to talk to him Wednesday morning but he had told her, "I can't be 'round ya right now." And that was it.

"Oh?" Lou's bushy white eyebrows furrowed as he passed her some packing material so she could finish stuffing the last crate of the day.

"I can't give him what he wants so he doesn't want me anymore," she said flatly. She'd refused to admit she was in love with him so she really didn't have a leg to stand on. What she wanted was for them to forget what he had said and go back to before, when the game wasn't up and they were just together existing in the moment with no thought of tomorrow or the next day or forever.

"We have dinner with Mr Blake tonight, do you still want to go?"

 _No_ , "yes," Kate pulled off her gloves and looked around the exhibition hall that was now closed to the public and filled with a jumbled pile of boxes, paperwork and empty display cases. Her time in America was almost over and she felt miserable.

/

Daryl hadn't gone home to Jim and Charlene's after leaving Kate's on Tuesday night. The last thing he needed was for the redhead to be right about himself and Kate. Just like she had predicted they weren't talking in time for the wedding. Instead he had gone home to the Horvath's farm, which was where he was going to now that work was done for the day.

 _Kate's final day._

He sat in his truck, hands gripped to the steering wheel as he watched Kate ushering Lou into the copper orange BMW Z6 that the rental company had brought in exchange for her broken down Mustang. The sight of her filled him with pain enough that he could barely breathe, he had no idea what to do.

After telling her he loved her there had been no way he could have spent another night with her if she wasn't feeling anything but her orgasms. He might have been a man and a certain part of his body might have betrayed him when he saw her this morning in her pretty little dress but he wasn't an animal, he wanted more than fucking when it came to Kate. They couldn't go back, they couldn't go forward, all he could do was let her go and he felt ill.

He waited until Kate's car was long gone before he started his engine. He groaned and punched the wheel, he felt so fucking frustrated with how everything had turned out. He was so powerless. It was all over with now, he would never see her again and he'd just have to find a way to live with that.

"Back again?" Irma smiled as he let himself into the kitchen.

"I was hopin' that I could stay, if that's okay…"

"You know it is Daryl, this place will be yours next week, makes sense that you wanna get started on things," she let out a wistful sigh. "How's Kate? Has she gone home now?"

Daryl's stomach clenched as his mind conjured up the image of her packing away the exhibition hall. No matter how much he'd tried to avoid the monitors, he was a glutton for punishment and the sight of her was so easy on the eyes. "Sunday."

"You know what's better than falling in love with someone?" Irma said.

Daryl just stared at her, did she know? Maybe everyone knew. Of course everyone knew, if Daryl knew then it had to be obvious to the whole world that he was madly in love with Kate.

"Marrying them, having children together, it's my biggest regret… well I guess I can't regret something I couldn't control. You can control it, you can bring life to this farm and I don't just mean planting crops."

Daryl sank his elbows into the table and covered his face with his hands. _Jesus_ , his throat felt dry, Irma made it all sound so easy. "I asked Kate to stay. Hell, I even asked her to marry me. She said no."

"Oh Daryl," Irma rubbed his shoulder, "what you gonna do about it?"

"Nothin'. I don't know what the hell would I'd with 'er even if she did stay. I know fu- nothin' 'bout being with a woman longterm."

"You'd figure it out."

"I'd mess up everything eventually. I've seen photos of my Mama when she was young, before she married Will Dixon." She'd been beautiful, strong, head high, back straight, she'd looked like she could take on the world but somehow his Daddy had managed to crush all of her strength until she was nothing but a withered mess who couldn't get through the morning without a drink and half a packet of cigarettes.

"I didn't know your mama but I know you Daryl and you're not your father. You think Kate would have given you her time if you was. Every single time you brought her here I saw her looking at you like you put the stars in the sky."

"Maybe she did but there just ain't enough goddamn time in the world to make that woman see sense," he stood up and gave Irma a kiss on the cheek, "I'm gonna go see the horses."

Daryl wished he could conjure up some hate for Kate but he loved her too damn much that even when she was breaking his heart he could do nothing but let her do it and take it like a gentleman. She was killing him so goddamn gently, she wasn't even being particularly unreasonable which was probably the worst part of it all. He was asking her to leave her life for him and it all seemed so easy in his head but when she had asked if he would leave his life for her, he'd finally got it, at least in part. If he couldn't walk away from his life and she couldn't walk away from hers it left them with nothing, there was no half way.

He groaned, kicking a rock across the dirt track, maybe it was unreasonable but why couldn't she just be his? She could visit her friends or they could visit here but he couldn't move this farm.

 _/_

Kate pulled up outside the restaurant Mr Blake had chosen for the farewell dinner he had arranged. He'd invited the other curators who worked at the museum as well as some of the patrons that she had met at the Museum party. Truthfully she had no interest in having dinner with any other them, she'd barely said more than a few words to most of them. All she could think about was Daryl and how it was him who she should have been spending her precious last days with.

"I can't come in with you," Kate said to Lou who was sitting in her passenger seat.

"Alright lass," he gave her knee a squeeze, a sparkle of understanding in his eye. "Good luck."

She let out a nervous laugh and waited for him to amble out of the car before she zoomed away.

It wasn't easy finding her way to Jim and Charlene's house. In fact she'd had to ask directions at Lynette's which had been rather embarrassing since she was dressed in a little fuchsia cocktail dress and a pair of killer heels therefore looking completely out of place, overdressed and ridiculous.

As she pulled up outside the house she spotted the familiar yellow door from when Daryl had brought her so long ago. What she didn't spot was his blue truck, which left a sinking feeling in her stomach. But she was here and she was determined to find him so she had to at least try the door.

Kate knocked and could hear the sound of male laughter on the other side followed by the thud of footsteps.

Jason answered, giving her a wide grin and a wolf whistle as he cast one slow look down her dress and legs, "Daryl is a very lucky boy, yes siree. But what can _I_ do ya for ma'am?"

"Is he here?" Kate said, prayed.

"Who is it?" a voice called from further in the house.

"It's Katy," Jason let the door fall open and gestured her inside where she found a group of men including Jim and Bobby all sitting around a poker table that had been set up awkwardly in the middle of the lounge. "She's lookin' for Daryl."

Kate tucked her hair behind her ear and shifted from foot to foot as nobody said anything in favour of giving her appreciative glances like she was a piece of meat and they were a pack of dogs. She felt her cheeks flush, "is he here?"

Jim cleared his throat, "I thought he was with you hun…"

"So this is Katy? We've been hearing an awful lot about you, I'm Danny, this is Rooster." Danny had dirty blonde hair that was shoulder length and blonde whiskers not long enough to be a beard yet not short enough to be stubble scattered across his face. Rooster had light brown hair despite what she assumed was his nickname. He was clean shaven and reminded her of Matthew McConaughey.

"You're the talk of the town girl," Jason teased.

"Ain't no surprise when you're running around dressed up like Christmas come early," Rooster winked.

Kate's cheeks must have been as red and glowing as a Christmas decoration, then she noticed the pile of empty beer bottles and realised that they were probably all pissed. "So nobody's seen him?"

"I reckon he might be over at the Horvath's, saw him there yesterday sweetheart," Rooster said.

"Thank you. I'm sorry for interrupting your evening," then she realised tomorrow was the wedding, "good luck for tomorrow Jim."

"Thanks, and it ain't no interruption hun, you're welcome here anytime," Jim said.

Jason followed Kate outside where he gave another wolf whistle to her car followed by a "hot damn… look at those lines…"

"Which way is it to the Horvaths?"

Jason's brow knit together under his hat, "why ya having to run around in all this," he pointed to her dress, "looking for Daryl?"

"Because I want to give him a proper goodbye," she opened her car door.

Jason held her arm, "maybe ya don't wanna say goodbye. Hello's are much sweeter."

"The Horvath's?"

He sighed and gave her directions before he helped her into her car, "you gonna be at the wedding to tomorrow?" her asked through her rolled down window.

"I don't know but if I don't see you again, it was nice meeting you."

With Jason's directions she found the farmhouse easily. It looked so pretty against the still blue Georgia sky. It also looked so lonely, aside from the house and the outbuildings there was nothing but fields turning into trees for as far as the eye could see. She wondered what Daryl was going to do with it all.

"Well aren't you a doll?" Irma declared as she all but ran down the porch, "I told you I heard a car," she shouted back to Dale who joined her outside.

"Good evening Mrs Horvath," she was immediately wrapped into a sweet lemony hug.

"Now isn't this just fine?" Irma brushed a strand of Kate's hair off her face. "Daryl's seein' to the horses, I swear that man spends more time down in the stables than he does in the house. But I think the right kind of distracting could change his mind on that," Irma chuckled and took a step away before nodding her head towards the horses "you go find him honey."

As she walked over the terrain that seemed impossibly difficult in five inch heels she felt a big knot begin to tighten in her stomach. She wasn't exactly sure why she was here trying to find Daryl, just that she _had_ to see him.

She peaked her head around the stable door to see him polishing a saddle. His shirt sleeve was rolled up and every flex of his arm rippled across his muscle sending a wave of desire all the way through her body until she could barely say the word 'hello'. But she didn't have to speak, he spotted her. Their eyes locked for a heartstopping moment before he threw the rag he'd been polishing with down to the floor and looked away.

/

For a split second Daryl thought he must have been hallucinating to see Kate standing in the door of the stables. Her hair was flowing in perfect waves, her lean legs looked long and silky smooth in her crazy high heels and _that dress…_ That fuscia dress was the perfect colour against her Georgia tan and glossy brown hair. Why'd she have to be so fucking beautiful? He was instantly hard and kicking himself for it.

"What ya doin' 'ere?" he grunted, trying to sound as irritated as he rightly felt.

"You didn't say goodbye to me."

"One goodbye was enough," he picked up the saddle and hung it up with the rest of the tack.

Kate stepped into the stables, "where are the horses?"

"Outside," he walked right past her, trying not to get a lungful of her perfume before changing his mind and breathing her in deeply. The smell made his heart beat quicker, his stomach fill with warmth and his erection wasn't going anywhere. _Stupid traitorous body_ , it didn't care about anything but being inside of her. He dug into his jeans for his pack of smokes before lighting one and taking a seat on the fence as they silently stared across the pasture until tension began to mount so thick it might have smothered him.

"Maybe I should go," she turned on her heel to head back towards the farmhouse.

 _Fucking hell_. "Wait, I don't goddamn want ya to go."

Kate turned back, her big brown eyes looking right at him _like he put the stars in the sky._

 _Fucking hell._

"Wait 'ere." he left her standing by the stables while he grabbed a saddle and headed to Ace's paddock. The horse came over almost immediately. Daryl had noticed that the angry ass stallion had started being better behaved over the past few days since he'd been staying here and exercising him properly.

When Ace was ready he mounted him and trotted over to find Miss Uppity exactly where he had left her.

"There's only one horse," she pointed out so deftly.

"I know. Even rednecks can count to two," he reached down and wrapped his hands around her waist, "put ya foot in the stirrup an' lets have ya."

She did as she was told and he picked her up to sit in front of him, her body pressed right against his. If she felt what was pressing against his zipper she didn't mention it, and neither did he. He took hold of the reigns with one hand and with the other he held against her stomach so she didn't slip away from being flush with him.

He directed Ace on a gentle trot across the land, pointing out everything to Kate, all the fields that were his and all the places he had played as a child. They rode for miles over meadows, fields then into the thick of forest along a trail that was non existent to the eye but one that Daryl had hunted along many times and brought Ace along once or twice.

When they came to a clearing that had a stream running through it, incidentally the same stream that ran along the heart tree, he stopped. He picked Kate off his lap and dropped her to the floor before he jumped down and tied the horse to a nearby tree.

It occurred to him that now they were in the middle of nowhere, a city girl like Miss Uppity couldn't run away. It also occurred to him that he didn't have a single thing left to lose. He'd already said goodbye to some dignity the other night and as of 5pm today he was never working with her again. He might never see her again after tonight.

Kate was standing at a complete juxtaposition with the scenery; her shoes sinking into the ground, her fuchsia dress lighting her up like a jewel amongst the forest green. His heart clenched, his breath all but leaving him at just the sight of her. He walked over to her, picked her hand up and kissed the back of it before pulling her into his arms. She gave herself to his lips, a hot little groan panting from her mouth as he kissed from her lips to her neck then down along her shoulder.

Her hand slipped along his crotch, rubbing him over his jeans before her fingers began to work his belt. It felt so damn good but he wanted more than just to have sex with her. He grabbed her hand and stopped her progress with a pained sigh.

"I've lived long enough to know what I want when I see it," he whispered down her ear before kissing the lobe and looking at her big brown eyes. "I love ya an' I want ya to tell me how ya feel 'bout me."

"Daryl," she sighed, placing her hands on his chest and sliding them up to his shoulders, "can't we just enjoy tonight?"

Spoken like a goddamn man. _Jesus Christ_ she was worse than Merle. "No. I ain't lettin' ya in my pants until ya tell me the truth." After speaking to Irma he was sure Kate had feelings for him, she just had to admit it. Hell, he needed her to admit it, he wanted to hear the words enunciated from her crisp, clear, sexy accent.

Kate pulled herself from his arms, "I think we should just head back."

"Go right ahead…" Kate's pastime was running and his was hunting, one of them was going to win out.

She looked through the mess of trees but didn't move, "you're not going to take me back?"

"Help ya run away from me? Why would I do that?"

Kate huffed, "you can't just hold me to ransom here."

"I ain't holdin' ya to nothin'. Ya wanna go back? I ain't stoppin' ya sweetheart but I ain't helpin' ya until you say what I think ya wanna say."

"You're forcing my hand."

"Maybe ya need a little forcin'. Hell, I was gonna let ya walk away for good but _you_ came to _me_." He moved closer to her, his hand running along the curve of her hips. "Ya came to my farm in this tiny little dress an' ya expect me to pretend I don't want ya… ain't happenin' darlin'."

"Has it even entered your pig head that I don't love you and I'm trying to spare your feelings?"

Sometimes she infuriated him. "Then why ya come 'ere tonight? Hmm?" Daryl asked and Kate didn't say anything. "Has it ever entered yer pig head that I could make ya happy in and _out_ of bed. Ya could be happy if ya stayed 'ere with me."

"You have to be at the wedding tomorrow. We can't stay out here forever Daryl Dixon!" Her face was flushed in annoyance and it was very possible that he was even more turned on by her than before. She was sexy when she was mad and he knew a way to make her even angrier. He tried to keep his face straight as he bent over and started to gather firewood, throwing it all together in a pile.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"Well, we have all night sweetheart, might as well get comfortable. Though I don't know how comfortable yer gonna be in that little dress..." he bit his cheek to hold in his grin before thinking _fuck it_ and letting the smile spread across his face.

"I could never love someone who held me hostage in the middle of the forest."

"Well ya don't love me so it don't matter none does it?" he said with an edge to his voice. He thought she would have backed down and said it already, why he thought Miss Uppity would ever back down he wasn't sure.

Kate folded her arms across her chest and he thought steam might actually start shooting out of her head hot enough to set the whole forest on fire.

 _Fucking hell._ Maybe he should have just fucked her like she wanted? It might have put her in a more pliable mood.

She began to stomp past Ace and head off the way they had come from, down a little slope, her shoes digging into the mud as she almost toppled over. He shook his head and followed her stubborn ass. "What ya doin'?"

"What does it look like?" she spat.

"Looks like ya gonna break ya damn neck."

Kate turned to him and she looked like she was going to shout but instead she screamed, an incredibly high pitched and girlish scream as she ran towards him. For a split second he thought it was some kind of battle cry and she was going to smack him in the head. Instead she jumped straight into his arms like a terrified cat.

"What the hell?" he wrapped his arms around her and breathed in the smell of her hair, "I thought ya were comin' to kill me woman."

"It was a snake," she panted as she hopped from foot to foot while frantically looking around the ground.

Daryl burst out laughing. _Jesus_ , she was so goddamn ridiculously adorable, he could never get enough of her. "You've probably scared off every living thing for miles with all that racket yer makin'."

She straightened up, smoothing down her hair and the front of her dress before pointing a finger in his face like she was the queen, "I hate you so much right now Mr Dixon."

"Dont hate me," he wrapped her in his arms. He needed to bring this back from where it was, "ya ever build a campfire?"

"I'm not spending the night out here," she snapped.

He grunted, "I know, I ain't really gonna make ya sleep out 'ere. But let's have a little fun before we go back." She softened the tiniest bit and he decided to roll with it, taking her hand and leading her back to the clearing. "Never did get to take ya campin'," he said as he unbuttoned his shirt and lay it on a log for her to sit on.

Kate didn't say anything.

He gathered the sticks into a nice little teepee then found some dry leaves for kindling before he lit it all with his zippo. "Shame we don't have any marshmallows."

Kate didn't say anything and he felt terrible, he wanted more and now he didn't have anything. He knelt down in front of her. "Is this really it? Ya ain't gonna talk to me now?"

/

Kate wasn't planning on giving Daryl the silent treatment but she didn't know what else to do. He was relentless and if he kept going he would have her admitting her feelings which she didn't want to do. She really was trying to spare his feelings, she thought it would be easier this way. If he knew she loved him then it would only make it more difficult.

But he was right, why had she come if not to tell him those three little words? Maybe she had come because it sounded so nice when he was saying those three words to her. She liked the sound of them rolling from his husky, raspy voice and she liked the way it made her heart skip and the butterflies dance.

He lit a cigarette and leaned on a tree opposite to where she was sitting. "I'll have this an' then I'll take ya back," he said miserably and she felt a stab in her chest.

When he finished his cigarette he helped her onto Ace but instead of climbing on behind her he grabbed the reins and began to walk the horse along.

It felt so lonely up on the saddle without Daryl's body pressed against hers and despite the fact that he'd just annoyed the hell out of her she'd been looking forward to the ride back. "Why aren't you getting on?"

"Didn't think you'd want me to."

She swallowed the stubborn part of her that wanted to say nothing and forced herself to admit, "I do want you to."

"It's alright," he looked at her briefly before patting Ace's neck, "it ain't too far to walk."

Maybe she wasn't saving his feelings. Maybe she was just hurting him more. Maybe part of her did want him to know the truth, "Daryl," she felt her chest getting tight, "I..."

He stopped and turned to look at her, "what?"

"I need to get down."

He held out his hands and picked her off the horse with ease, her body fluttered at his every touch.

"Ya need to take a leak? Don't go too far… don't want ya gettin' lost."

She looked over his shoulder to the trees, "I don't need… to take a leak."

"I wanted to tell you that I think… you're a really big, dumb, idiot. You gave the game up, we weren't supposed to talk about feelings. I thought we both knew that this was all temporary and you've made it impossible."

"Gee… thanks."

"Well…" she swallowed hard, "I love you… there you have it. I'm in love with you." Kate's chest felt even tighter at her admission, putting it out there was terrifying even if she knew he loved her back. Maybe it wasn't Daryl's feelings that she was trying to save.

/

Daryl savoured the words. He'd never been in love and he'd never been loved by a woman before. "That weren't so bad was it?" he grinned, "now kiss me," he buried one hand in her hair and the other held her waist as he kissed her, teeth clashing, tongues dancing eagerly. His body was impatient to show her just how much he loved her but he couldn't do it on this trail.

He took his fill of her lips before picking her back into Ace's saddle and jumping on after her. He kicked the horse's sides and galloped the rest of the way home.

When Ace was securely in a paddock, he pulled Kate into the barn and kissed her even more deeply than before. "I love ya," he whispered between kisses as he moved her backwards until she was half lay against the stacks of hay that were filling the floor. "Say it," he groaned as his hands swept up her thighs to find her lacy panties and slip under the elastic until his fingers were wet.

"I love you," she panted as his finger entered her, teasing her inside and out. He needed more, he wanted to taste her. He dropped to his knees, pulled her panties down as he went then spread her thighs and kissed between her legs, sucking and licking all her wetness until she began to buckle.

"Oh god," Kate gasped and his tongue moved faster, his finger dipped inside her again as he tipped her right into heaven.

Daryl stood up to catch her as she melted with the aftershocks then he guided her to where she could lay more comfortably before he pulled off her flimsy little dress and her sexy lacy bra. He threw her clothes away before standing and getting a good look at her laying with her high heels on, her hair tumbling over her shoulders and mountains of hay everywhere else. She looked like one of the pin up calendars he sometimes saw in garages he'd worked in or from his own bedroom as a teenager. He felt even harder, she was all his.

Daryl pulled off his clothes and climbed on top of her, the head of his erection brushing along her thigh as his mouth wrapped around her hard nipple, sucking each one while his hands ran over her body. Then he had a realisation, _fuck_ , "I don't have a condom."

Kate sat up on her elbows, her eyes dark and lustfilled, "I'm... on the pill."

 _Oh god_ , he felt like he was going to lose himself all over her leg at the mere thought of being inside her without anything but his own skin. "I'm clean," with a brother like Merle, Daryl knew how to look after his own health. "But I'll understand if ya don't wanna…"

"I trust you, I want you," she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply, tasting herself on his tongue as she urged him onto his back. She straddled him kissing along his chest until she was between his thighs, one hand wrapped around the base of his penis, pumping along it and the other cupping his balls, gently squeezing at just the right pressure that had his hands fisting into the hay.

The only thing that made this better was that she loved him and then the only thing that made it even sweeter was that they were on Dixon land. He was going to make love to her on _his_ land just like Dixon men had been doing with their women for over a century. It was a weird feeling but it felt right.

Her tongue licked lazily along his length, a sultry smile on her lips before she wrapped her mouth around his end. His breath hitched, shuddering slowly out as she took him in deep, sucking slowly along, her eyes locking with his. He thrust his hips gently, barely able to contain his eager body that wanted more, more, more. It was feeling so good, he could feel his release coiling uncontrollably and gently tugged her hair to stop her. He didn't want to finish like this, not tonight.

"I wanna make love to ya," he rasped. As much as he wanted Kate to climb on top and ride him, this was different, this was sex without a condom and he wanted to take her. He wanted to be in control of how good it was going to feel to bury himself all the way inside her soft walls.

He threw her down and kissed her lips, hovering the tip right against where he wanted nothing more than to sink in deep. "Ya sure?" he checked. He could still stop, it would be hard but he could do it.

"Yes," Kate's hips thrust up to help the angle as he pushed inside. _Fucking hell_ , he almost came apart. Being inside her felt better than he imagined. He thrust long and slow, pulling almost all the way out before sinking into her again.

"I love ya," he groaned into her neck but Kate was lost to anything but what he was doing to her with his body.

"More," she panted, "faster," he did what she said, pumping her hard and fast until she came apart, her nails digging into his shoulders. Hearing her climax shoved him over the edge as everything he had spilled inside her until he was empty and his orgasm had ripped him apart.

He floated on a million great feelings, nestling his head in her soft breasts. Her loving him was one great feeling. Another great feeling was having his cum all inside her right now, like she was really his, all filled up with him. Even if the thought did make him feel like a big caveman, he liked it. He leaned up on his elbow to look at her, all flushed and ruffled, she looked so beautiful. He pulled some hay from her hair and kissed her. Now he had to think of what his next move was going to be. If she loved him then there was no way he could let her leave. But first he wondered if he could get all the hay out of Kate's hair before they headed to the farmhouse and Irma saw it.


	34. White Wedding

"I have to get goin'," Daryl nestled his face closer into Kate's neck, "but I wish I could stay." He kissed her and inhaled the smell of her like she was oxygen and he'd just come up for air. "You'll meet Irma and Dale at the farm and they'll take ya to the church."

"Um hmm," Kate didn't open her eyes.

"Don't forget to bring a bag for tonight." After making love in the barn they had returned to the farmhouse for an awkward cup of sweet tea with Irma and Dale. It turned out he couldn't get all the straw out of her hair, combined with her dishevelled dress and something he couldn't quite put his finger on he'd found Irma giving him a strange look. A look that said 'I know exactly what you just did in that barn.'

They hadn't spent the night at the Horvath's, they'd drove to Kate's house but she had agreed to spend the night at the farm after the wedding. It was an easier drive than making their way back into Atlanta after a long day celebrating but more than anything he wanted to see how it would feel to spend the night in his future home with her soft little body curled beside him. He hoped she'e like it so much that she'd never leave.

"And…" he squeezed her even tighter, "I love ya."

One eye popped open, a sleepy smile on her face, "you too. Now let me get my beauty sleep."

" _You too_?" he poked his finger in her side before tickling her until she was breathless. "There ain't gonna be no _you toos_."

"You're evil," she shrieked, trying to tickle him back but he overpowered her and pinned her to the bed, arms above her head as she writhed.

"Ya gotta stop wiggling 'round or I ain't gonna be able to get outta this bed for the rest of the mornin'," he pressed his length along her centre and wanted nothing more than to have her again and again. Except he'd already abandoned Jim for the past couple of days and he was feeling guilty enough without abandoning him on the morning of his wedding.

Daryl groaned into her mouth as he gave her a goodbye kiss then somehow managed to peel himself from between her thighs. He could have spent the whole day with her legs wrapped around him. _Damn_ , when he turned to get one last look at her before he headed off he felt harder than ever as the sight of her Georgia tan all tangled with the crisp white sheets and her glossy hair spilling along the pillow like molten chocolate. He wanted to eat her all up but he'd have to save that for later.

He loved and hated that her last weekend was the wedding. He liked that it meant he could take her with him and have the prettiest date in town on his arm but he hated that it was distracting him from the final precious hours he could guarantee with Miss Uppity.

Jim and Jason were in the kitchen frying up a big pan of bacon and eggs when he stepped into the house.

"Hey," Daryl rasped as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "Is it just us this mornin'?"

"Yeah, I wanna keep things as stress free as possible. In fact, the wedding ain't until one so I reckon we should go fishin' after breakfast," Jim said and since it was his day they did exactly that. They ate their eggs and bacon, grabbed the fishing tackle out of the shed then headed for the nearest sweet spot to hook a few catfish. Daryl had to admit that fishing was a great way to spend the morning, it was so peaceful and cool by the waterside.

It wasn't until they were back home donning their tuxes that the men noticed the bowties which Charlene had insisted on. They weren't the clip on's they were expecting but were the kind that needed tying.

"Oh Jesus," Jim paced the floor red faced and flustered with this bow clutched in his hand, "either of ya'll know how to tie these damn things?"

The hell if Daryl knew, he'd never wore a bow tie in his entire life. He never worn a tie until recently, he recalled the day at the Piedmont Park when Kate's fingers had wrapped around his tie and pulled him to her lips. His trousers felt the strain and he stepped behind the kitchen counter to conceal his memory.

"I betcha Katy knows her way around a bowtie," Jason grinned.

"Ring her!" Jim demanded as he stomped outside for a cigarette, even if he hadn't smoked in about three years.

Daryl dug his phone and out of his pocket and shifted the front of his pants. He was suddenly thrilled that the bowties weren't clip ons since he'd been missing Kate like crazy all morning and he couldn't wait to get his hands around her waist and his lips on hers.

/

Kate knocked on the yellow door. There was no answer so she let herself in, "hello?" she called before spotting the boys standing outside. Her heart leapt at the sight of Daryl looking so dashing in his charcoal suit. Especially when she knew what lay underneath. She felt the heat flush across her body despite the AC pumping around the house and she couldn't wait to get her hands on him. She rushed across the living room and out through the screen door to greet Jim, Jason and Daryl.

"You're a goddamn lifesaver," Jim insisted as he pulled his bowie from his pocket and took a drag on a cigarette like his life depended on it..

Jason gave her his customary wolf whistle and a slow wink. She knew it would drive Daryl crazy if he wasn't standing stock still with his jaw creeping to the floor and his eyes dark with desire enough to make her body feel even hotter than it already did.

She was wearing a pillar box red lacy dress which hung to her shins. It had a nude underlay beneath the lace that made her look like she was naked and without a bra in the barely there top. She felt a little sinful for a morning in church. The lacy red knickers he couldn't see were definitely too sinful for church but she supposed he wouldn't be ripping those off until later. She'd pinned her hair up loose and romantic with wisps of waves escaping enough to annoy her. She wore the black strappy sandals which she loved watching him remove and then she had her little black purse dangling from a long strap on her shoulder.

He walked over to her and wrapped his big hands on her shoulders, "Jesus woman, ain't fair for ya to look so damn gorgeous, ya gonna show up the bride."

"I'm glad you approve Mr Dixon."

"Goddamn right I approve, don't know how I'm gonna think straight today but," his breath shuddered as he gave her a one over that set her on fire, "I definitely approve darlin'." His mouth covered hers and for a few minutes she forgot there was anyone else in the garden with them.

"Let me tie you up."

"What?" Daryl's voice was hoarse and his eyes dark.

Kate narrowed her eyes, "the bow tie Mr Dixon".

He cleared his throat, handed her the tie then looked over his shoulder as they both remembered there were two more people in the garden.

"Ya want us to go inside for 15 minutes while ya get acquainted with that dress?" Jason shouted loud enough that the whole town might have heard.

"15 whole minutes?" Jim laughed, "I give him 5."

Embarrassment filled her features as she tried not to look at the other men and wrapped the bowtie under Daryl's collar.

"It's a wonder ya have the swimmers to knock Charlene up if 5 minutes is all ya can manage," Daryl quipped and Kate was sure the pink in her cheeks was never going to fade.

"Congratulations," she said.

"Thanks Sugar," he smiled before smacking Daryl in the arm, "an' I told ya not to tell anyone."

"Kate ain't anyone. Besides, ya'll can't keep it a secret for long. Whats everyone gonna say when Charlene don't have a drink at her own wedding'?"

When she'd finished the bowties she took a photo of the three of them using Jim's camera. Then Daryl walked her to her car where he kissed her again, "see ya in church sweetheart." Their eyes met and for a split second she knew exactly what he was thinking as he kissed the back of her hand because for the briefest moment she imaged the lace of her dress was white instead of red. She pulled her hand from his and swallowed the dry feeling in her throat as she pushed the thought away and turned the ignition of her car.

Dale drove herself and Irma to the wedding. The church looked adorable clad in white wooden siding with yellow and white flowers flanking the door. The plethora of guests all dressed in their best were exchanging animated conversation in the bright Georgia sunshine as well as inside the airy church hall.

"You should meet the Pastor. ." Irma placed her hand on Kate's forearm, "do you go to church honey?"

"Err… not since I was a Brownie."

"Well, it's never too late. You know I've been trying to get Daryl to come to church with me for years and now he has the farm he should be making it a priority, all the farmers around these parts come here and he could do with making some new friends."

"Perhaps he'll meet them in the pub."

"Or maybe he just needs some prettier persuading? You know there is nothing I can't get Dale to do when he's eaten a handful of my chocolate chip cookies."

Kate decided not to carry on the slippery slope of conversation with Irma who was giving her a shrewd eye and light little squeezes on her arm. Instead she just smiled and greeted the Pastor and his wife before Irma pulled her along to meet the ladies in her quilting circle.

"I just don't know what we're gonna do without you Irma," the women all fawned over her.

"Maybe Daryl will host the circle, so you don't have to move it elsewhere," Irma chuckled, making light of her leaving the farm.

"Well I can't say that would be a bad idea," one of the ladies chortled as her salt and pepper hair danced around her head, "might get some of the younger girls to come and join in. If not, well, I can't say I wouldn't mind showing him a thing or two about quilting and _other_ things."

That made the quilting circle all roar with laughter as Irma nudged her arm with a knowing smile.

The idea of women chasing after Daryl when she was gone hit her like a hammer in the head. She couldn't stand the idea of another woman with him or hosting things in his living room, even if it was some crazy old ladies. She hadn't even considered the idea of him moving on without her being here but of course that was what would happen.

She spotted Cassie standing alone in a powder blue dress and matching sandals. Maybe he would be moving on with Cassie. She didn't know what came over her but she excused herself from the quilters and marched her way over. "Hello," Kate said abruptly.

Cassie's head turned her way and the look on her face wasn't exactly welcoming.

Kate wanted to say "stay away from Daryl" amongst other things but instead she lied and said, "what a lovely dress."

Cassie's eyes became wide and she faltered a little before saying, "thank you."

That was the extent of what she had cause to say to Cassie. She wasn't really going to frighten her away from Daryl and she was terrible at small talk. She was just about to comment on the weather when an arm draped heavily over her shoulder.

"Want usherin' to yer seat pretty lady?"

She turned to see Jason, dickiebow in place and his bright blue eyes shining.

"You remember Cassie?"

"I reckon so" he gave Cassie's behind a healthy wallop and the blonde's cheeks turned firetruck red before she made an excuse and practically ran away.

"That was a little inappropriate don't you think?"

"Nah," Jason kissed the back of Kate's hand. "Ya looked like ya might fairly die of boredom talkin' to Cassie. I was rescuin' ya."

Kate couldn't help but grin as he wove her arm into his and walked her to where Dale and Irma were saving a seat.

"You'll save a little dance for me later won't you girl?"

"I'm not sure." It all depended on the dancing and her levels of alcohol consumption.

"I haven't brought a date… ya won't go breakin' my heart now will ya honey bun?"

Kate rolled her eyes with a smile and he took that as a yes as his megawatt grin grew wider and he gave a gentlemanly bow. Kate wondered what Daryl would think of Jason's shameless flirting since he had no idea about Jason's secret. In fact as she looked at Irma's perplexed face she realised that the old lady didn't like the flirting as much as her favourite redneck probably wouldn't.

/

Daryl poured Jim a shot of bourbon as they stood in a little side room of the church.

"I ain't ready to go in yet," Jim stuttered

"Sorry I ain't been 'round much these past few days."

"I get it" Jim sipped the bourbon, "Katy came to the house last night looking for you, I guessed she'd found you."

"She said she's in love with me," Daryl poured himself a measure and promised it would be the only one. He didn't want to spend today drunk, he needed his wits about him if he was going to convince Kate not to leave tomorrow..

"I'm happy for you. Now you need to put a ring on her finger and start making babies. Don't know why I waited so long. Plus my kids are gonna need some best friends."

At that moment Jason snuck into the room and grabbed himself a glass., "she'd be a real pretty bride."

"And from the way ya'll look at each other you'll be needin' to add a couple of bedrooms onto that old farm house"

Daryl's chest felt tight, "there's already four." _And she's leaving_ , although that seemed like a little bump in the road compared to getting her to love him. Surely she couldn't stay away if she loved him?

"I know," Jim laughed and he looked slightly more relaxed as he down the last of his drink and for the tenth times asked, "you got the rings?"

Daryl patted his pocket to reassure them both, "yes sir."

When they stepped into the main church hall, everyone was seated on the long mahogany benches that were trimmed with yellow and white flowers. He spotted Kate sat on the end of the aisle and he took the time to stop by. He took her hand and pulled her up to give her a kiss right on the lips. He would have never thought he would like being so openly affectionate but there was something primal about claiming your woman that made his testosterone pump happily

The whole town was in this church and he wanted them to be sure that she was definitely his girl since it had been a subject up for debate, or in other words small town gossip, ever since she had poured beer on his head in Ed's bar. Then she'd played pool with him and Merle at Lynette's, had a fight with him in the middle of the street on 4th of July and the gossipers had gone even wilder. Being a crazy mysterious hotheaded english woman who was running rings around the Dixon brothers wasn't the worst reputation to have but he knew Kate would probably hate it.

When she sat back down, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and adored her like a lovesick fool before joining Jim in the wait for his best friend's bride to make her arrival.

Charlene looked beautiful in her wedding dress with her bouquet of yellow roses clutched tightly in her hands. Her bridesmaids were her her big sister Lisa and her best friend from childhood Mary Sue. They wore floor length yellow dresses with white bouquets. Lisa's daughter Lilly was the flower girl. She was all dressed in white frills and looking tickled pink although Daryl supposed being a flower girl was probably a dream for an almost five year old girl.

Daryl decided the colour combination made Charlene look like a fried egg, the prettiest fried egg this side of the Mississippi. Not that he would say any such thing to Charlene or Jim who had a far off dreamy look in his eye.

While Jim and Charlene exchanged their vows Daryl couldn't take his eyes off Kate. Every time she looked at him she blushed and her big brown eyes fell to her lap which made him smile like a damn fool in front of the whole congregation.

"The rings," the Pastor insisted and Daryl did his part, giving Jim a pat on the shoulder as he handed the wedding bands over.

/

When the ceremony was over Irma passed Kate a bag of rice and they lingered around the door of the church while they waited for the bride and groom to come out. Part of Kate wanted to disappear around the back of the church to have a good cry. She hadn't even considered that she might feel upset at the sight of someone's wedding but it was surfacing all the feelings she was constantly trying to ignore.

Her marriage with Ryan might not have been at its strongest when she lost him but he was still her husband and she had loved him. It was a different love to what she shared with Daryl. Loving Ryan was comfortable and steady, he was Harry's father and that had deepened their connection but there was always something missing. Loving Daryl made her realise that she hadn't had a spark with Ryan, the instant chemistry that created the passion. With Daryl it was like fireworks and with Ryan it was more like a party popper. Kate had grieved so completely for Harry that she'd hardly considered Ryan and the guilt of that lay heavy in her chest right now.

"Kate, Kate," Irma's voice brought her back from becoming lost in her thoughts, "such a beautiful day for a wedding don't you think?"

"Its perfect."

/

"You know it's tradition for the best man and the maid of honour to spend a little time together after the wedding," Mary Sue whispered as she sidled up to him, "who would have known you'd clean up so good." She ran her hands along the lapels of his suit.

Mary Sue was cute with her little button nose but she was also annoying as hell and she'd never given Daryl a second look the entire 30 odd years he'd known her. He might have been surprised that she was looking now if it hadn't been for the fact that she wasn't the first girl to start looking his way this past few weeks. He liked to think it was because he'd changed since meeting Kate rather than because he was getting the farm and last week when he had been organising Jim's bachelor party Lynette had called him the "most eligible bachelor in town."

It's kinda funny, I'm a bridesmaid, you're the best man…"

"Is it?"

"Well it's traditional for the best man to take home a bridesmaid. If you know what I mean sugar..."

Daryl snorted, "well I ain't much into traditions." That was a lie, he was realising he quite liked some traditions, holding the door open for Kate, buying her lunch, _getting down on one knee_.

When the registry was signed he couldn't wait to go find his woman and her soft kissable lips. She was standing pretty as a picture in the shade of a big Spanish moss clad oak tree besides Dale, Irma and the quilting circle ladies. Daryl rescued her from all the old hens who fussed over him, straightening his bowtie and saying things like "it'll be you next" and "you're gonna need help to run that big old farm."

Kate was coloured her usual rosy glow and it was combined with the all too familiar look she got when she wanted to run away. He held onto her with both hands as he dragged her far away from the meddling old ladies who needed to learn when to keep their damn yaps shut.

 _Jesus_ , the more people tried to encourage Kate the worse they made it for him. She wasn't an ordinary woman. She was like an unbroken horse and he needed to ease her into things with the right mix of a gentle hand and a firm one.

"I'm glad you're here. Today wouldn't be the same without ya…" _neither would tomorrow or every day after that._

"You looked good."

He couldn't help himself or the smile that slipped across his face. "Ya liked the way I looked at the altar?"

Kate spluttered out an uneasy laugh, "yeah, maybe you should get ordained."

Daryl snorted. "No preacher would be thinkin' the kinda things I'm thinkin' right now." He thumbed the strap of her dress before his hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her behind the trunk of another old oak tree to kiss her full red lips senseless. Although chasing close behind all his lust filled thoughts were ideas of white wedding dresses and a house filled with wild little children.

"Ya know I meant what I said... 'bout marrying ya." He had her pinned to the tree and breathless, "I want a life together darlin'. What I gotta do to make ya stay 'ere?" Maybe he didn't have the patience for gentle coaxing. Not when her lips felt so damn good.

"It's time for photo's," Jason grinned as he bounded between them and pulled Kate right from Daryl's hands. "I want a picture to remember ya by honey bun."

Daryl kicked the tree and chased after them both, he was going to wring Jason's goddamned neck. But first he had to stand around and smile for a hundred and one photographs when what he really wanted to do was drag Kate back behind that tree.


	35. The Princess and the Frog

Mr and Mrs Fulton's Wedding reception was in a little barn that belonged to Charlene's Aunt and Uncle. It had already been renovated when Charlene's sister Lisa had used it for her wedding several summers ago. The outside was painted fresh in red and white and there were a thousand fairy lights strung around a courtyard with a firepit in its centre. Roasting away on the spit was a huge hog Daryl had helped Jim and Jason catch on their bachelor party hunting trip. The succulent smell of it filled the warm summer air and his mouth salivated at the thought of eating it.

Inside the barn were the same yellow and white flowers that had adorned the church. Scattered around the straw covered floor were tables and chairs hired for the occasion as well as a makeshift bar Jim had constructed over the past few weeks. Most of the barn was made up of a dance floor consisting of wooden pallets joined together with a layer of hardboard on top. To the side of the dance floor was a huge stereo and space for a band. The band was made up of a couple of people Daryl and Jim had gone to highschool with and they would be happy to play for almost the entire evening as long as they had a steady supply of beer.

He pulled out a white washed chair for Kate to take a seat on before he started to point out the various people who were filling the room. He wanted her to feel like she was a part of this community in the same way that he was starting to feel it. His whole life he'd lived in this one horse town where everyone knew your name and your business but it hadn't been until the past few weeks that he had felt like he truly belonged.

In the past he'd been an outsider. He'd been Daryl with the drunken daddy, the Mama who burned her house down and the no good big brother. People were seeing him differently, even treating him differently and he liked it. He liked how people saw him with Kate but he hated that she hadn't said one single thing about him asking her to marry him for the second time.

 _Goddamn woman_ , she sat in the little wooden chair with her hands curled all dainty in her lap and her butter wouldn't melt big brown eyes but he knew the truth of her. That woman was as wild and feisty as a mountain lion when she had a mind to be and one wrong move she would have claws enough to kill a man.

He was kicking himself for proposing to her a second time. He hadn't meant to outright say it like that. Hell, he hadn't meant to outright say it the first time either. But when he looked at her and the sappy feelings filled him from head to toe he forget she was stubborn as a damn mule. Daryl had planned a romantic day for tomorrow where he wanted to ask her properly and now he'd fucked it.

He took a drink of his beer and decided to forget about staying clear headed, even without a drink it was impossible to be clear headed when he was around this woman and the sweet smell of her perfume. Plus, he needed some dutch courage if he was going to get up after dinner to toast the bride and groom.

He reached into his pocket to find the scrap of paper that he'd jotted his speech down on. He wasn't sure he would have even known what words to say if it hadn't been for a certain brunette who had brought him in from the outside. He just didn't understand why she didn't want to jump right in and share the life she was helping him create.

/

Dinner was delicious, tender and melt in the mouth. She couldn't believe that Daryl had caught and killed the poor creature but she also couldn't deny that there wasn't something so insanely masculine about it. He was unlike anyone she had ever met before. So wild and rugged from the worn in clothes he wore to the hard lines of his rough hands.

She sipped her second glass of champagne and watched him as he talked so sweetly to the little curly haired flower girl who hadn't managed to sit still throughout the meal. Seeing him interacting with a child like he was did something to her. She felt a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach as she wondered how someone so rough and manly could be so gentle and soft with a little girl.

"Why don't ya ask 'er?" Daryl whispered none too quietly to the little Lily before looking over his shoulder and right at her.

Lily's cheeks were as red as her hair as she shuffled along to Kate, her little fingers gently prodding the red lace of her dress, "are you a real princess?"

 _How adorable_ , she felt her cheeks colour the lightest shade of pink at the gravelly sound of Daryl's laugh.

"Auntie Charlene told Mommy and Mary Sue that you were a hoity toity princess."

Kate bit her tongue and the curse word that almost fell out before casting a wry glance to the blushing bride and her two bridesmaids. _Hoity toity princess my arse_. "All girls are princesses."

Lily beamed and stood on her tiptoes before her nose scrunched up, "does that mean all boys are _princes_?" She looked as alarmed as she sounded which made Daryl laugh again.

"Of course not," Kate exclaimed to the little girl's delight before casting a quick look to Daryl who covered his chest and pulled a face like he'd just been shot. "Boys are frogs. Until they marry the right princess. She nodded to the groom, "like your Uncle Jim."

When Kate caught the look on Daryl face she realised her faux pas and bit her lip. _Shit_ , after a couple of glasses of champagne her mouth was running away from her head. She could feel his eyes burning into her as Lily asked the rather uncomfortable question of "are you gonna turn Daryl into a prince?"

 _Bollocks_.

"I think ya Mama's shoutin' ya," Daryl picked Lily over the table, almost catapulting the child away. But the damage was done, the awkwardness had settled around them both and she could barely look him in the eye.

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck._

Of course Kate had thought non stop about what Daryl had said to her next to that oak tree. A woman didn't easily forget things like that. Especially the way _he_ said it, the seductive sound of his voice as he proposed to her almost had her saying yes despite herself and all good reason. Surely he hadn't really meant it. It was wedding fever, seeing his best friends exchanging their vows had probably made him a little excitable. _Thank god for Jason_. He can't have meant it, just like he didn't really mean it that night in her kitchen. Asking her to stay was one thing, marriage was something else and she was prepared for neither.

"Char has a mouth on 'er but she don't mean no harm."

Kate let out a relieved sigh as she felt the elephant leave the room. Being disliked by Daryl's best female friend was all the more reason for Kate to leave Georgia. Half the women in the room had given her a evil look as the day at drawn on. The only ones that hadn't were Irma, the ladies of the quilting circle and Lynette.

"So I'm just a frog huh?" he nudged her with his elbow and the elephant stepped back into the room.

She looked at him, her throat dry, "I rather like frogs."

/

"Of course ya do," what Daryl really meant was _of course ya ain't gonna gimme a straight answer._

The music disappeared as Mary Sue tapped the mic that was set up for the band, "hey ya'll, it's time to toast the Bride and Groom and I think we should start with the best man."

She had a wicked little look in her eyes and Daryl felt his stomach flip flopping like he might actually hurl at the idea of reading his toast. _Fucking hell._

Kate's hand rested on his thighs, the feel of her touch was like electricity as it coursed along his leg spreading a little wave of calm across him. Then she kissed his cheek and he managed to find that scrap of paper again.

"Evenin'," he started, standing up and holding the paper loosely in his hands. _Shit_ , he took a sip of his beer to try and take away the feeling of sandpaper that was making the words stay lodged in his throat. "I've known Jim and Charlene my whole life. I think everyone knew that they would end up together one day. Everyone 'cept Jim," he chuckled and remembered all the times Jim and Charlene had missed out on being together like ships in the night.

"Well, I guess he's finally realised it an' I think they've got somethin' real good. It ain't easy to find someone who'll forgive ya when ya back their brand new truck into a post and dent the whole bumper," he pointed to Charlene who shook her head in denial. "An' it certainly ain't easy to find a woman that will put up with the damn ugliest hat every damn day of the year 'cept his weddin'!"

"The hat looks good!" Jim decided as he pulled it from his pocket and shoved it on his head.

"I didn't plan that," Daryl said before he cleared his throat and look at his paper once more.

"They've found each other an' they're good when they're together an' they're holdin' on tight to what really matters," he looked at Kate thier eyes locking as he raised his beer, "to Jim and Charlene... after a lifetime of knowin' ya'll I'm glad ya finally made it down the aisle."

/

Charlene and Jim had just finished their first dance and the four piece band were playing some country love song that Kate didn't know the name of.

"May I have this dance?" Jason crooned, his arm outstretched.

Kate looked at the people swinging their partners around like she'd only seen in movies, "I don't think I can."

"I'll show ya how to two step, now come on girl." Before she could answer Jason dropped to his knee to help her out of her heels and threw them to Daryl. "Now I can take a turn with the prettiest single gal in the room."

Daryl glared and sat up straight in his chair like he might burst out of it and wrestle Jason to the floor. "Are ya tryin' to get a bolt in yer ass Fulton?"

"I don't see a ring on 'er finger," Jason grinned shamelessly and dragged her to the dance floor. "Okay what ya wanna do is start on yer left foot and yer gonna go quick quick slow."

Kate looked at her feet then back at Jason. "What?"

"Just follow my lead honey bun.".

She trod on his foot more than once but it wasn't too bad, after a couple of turns around the floor he managed to work in some turns and a dip that made her feel like she was Baby with Johnny Castle for her dancing partner although Jason was probably better looking than even Patrick Swayze.

"Hearin' Daryl make a honest to god wedding toast has inspired me Katy," Jason said as he laced her between his arms.

"It has?

"I've told my Daddy the truth and I'm gonna tell the rest," he pulled her a little closer as the song slowed to a ballad, "I met someone. I wanna shout it from the rooftops instead of tellin' him he can't even come to my brothers wedding."

"I'm happy for you," Kate kissed his cheek, and looked up to his bright blue eyes, "when will you tell Daryl?"

"Not tonight," Jason laughed resting his cheek on Kate's head as he swayed her around the floor, "I love his jealous boyfriend death stares far far too much. He looks so fine when he wants to rip a man to pieces."

In that moment she tilted her head to see the look of ice Daryl had in his eyes for Jason. Kate felt a flush of heat searing through her despite the fact that it was all so ridiculously primitive. Ryan would have never fought for her not that she needed fighting for but it was nice to know that, if the time arrived, a man could protect his family from burglars, bears and big bad things.

"Why don't ya stay?" Jason crooned, "I could use ya in my corner."

She couldn't take this conversation from Jason as well as her favourite redneck."I'm sure Daryl will be in your corner."

"Ain't the same. He wouldn't look half as good in this dress."

/

Jim took a seat next to Daryl, "you should stop your brooding an' go cut it."

"I ain't broodin'," alright maybe he was brooding but he had his reasons. Jason was doing a great job at two stepping with Kate, her eyes were glowing with delight as she giggled breathlessly with his instructions. Fucking Jason and his stupid hat, he was going to stomp that hat into the dirt.

"I don't like dancin' in front of folk," Daryl snapped. He knew how to dance his Grandma had seen to that but he was already going soft enough as it was. He wasn't sure he wanted the whole town to add dancing to his pussy whipped list of changes.

"Don't be so goddamn stupid," Jim yanked Daryl off his seat and smacked him around the back of his head before kicking him up the ass towards the dancefloor.

"Fine!" Daryl growled, shrugging off his jacket and throwing it to Jim before giving him the finger. He straightened his shirt, his bow tie had long been loosened around his neck and the top button opened. He weaved between the dancers to reach Jason, "may I cut in?"

It wasn't so much a question as it was a demand.

Kate raised one eyebrow as he took her in his arms, "is there anything you can't do Mr Dixon?"

"Hmm…" he kissed her cheek, "nope."

Holding her and dancing with her in the middle of the barn didn't feel weird and uncomfortable like he thought it might, it felt just right. He could breath in her perfume and hold her tight as he danced with her cheek to cheek. They were wrapped up in their own private world for song after song until most of the wedding guests, including the bride and groom, had left and the night was coming to a close.

Jason hung his arms over both their shoulders, his breath tinged with the hoppy smell of beer and his bow tie wrapped around his head, "they wanna close up the barn now lovebirds. Ya'll need to get home to do the horizontal tango."

"How much have you had to drink?"

"Enough," Jason took hold of Daryl for a turn on the floor and then Bobby ran over to pry him away.

"Where's Dale an' Irma at?" Daryl asked as he helped Bobby drag Jason to the door for some air.

"They went home hours ago."

 _Shit_. He turned to Kate who was sitting on the edge of the dancefloor with her dress all spread around her as she fastened up her strappy shoes.

"The walk home ain't too bad," he promised and she smiled with a carefree shrug of her shoulders. A walk through the dark couldn't dampen his mood and he was pleased it couldn't dampen hers either.

He grabbed his jacket and eased it over Kate's shoulders before they headed out into the night. It was chilly now the sun was gone and the only light came from the half moon and a scattering of stars as they walked down the tiny back roads towards the farm. The walk was longer than he anticipated with Kate carefully tiptoeing on worn out feet. At this rate there would be no time for any more dancing horizontal or otherwise.

"Giddy up," he said as he leant forward to give her a piggy back ride. She obliged in between laughs and he enjoyed having her wrapped about him as much as he enjoyed the sound of her girlish laughs.

"Ya looked good today, tonight. Ya fit 'ere… in this town… with me."

Her head pressed against his shoulder and her arms wrapped tighter around his neck but she didn't say a word.

"Ya tryin' to choke me woman?"

"That all depends are you trying to-"

A pained groan rumbled from the side of the road.

Kate slid to her feet and Daryl inched along to see where and who the noise was coming from. When his shoes were poised at the edge of a small ditch the groans turned into a faint laughter that shook a curled up pile of denim and plaid which was lying about four foot down from the road.

Daryl jumped down to pick up the drunk and his stomach curled in a knot as the scrawny face twisted to look at him.

"Thank ya son," Will Dixon drawled, the stench of whiskey, tobacco and urine flooding from his every fibre as he sagged into Daryl's arms. He wanted to drop the weight of him and pretend he didn't exist but duty held his arms taught. God he fucking hated his father.

* * *

 **A/N-** Thank you for reading! Hopefully I'll get the next chapter up soonish since I've split most of it off from this one since it grew out of control. I can't seem to write things as condensed as I want to in my head! Just curious to know do you want to read more of this story or would you like me to draw it to conclusion over the next few chapters then maybe have an epilogue. Either way I'll leave it up to whatever people say but I had a whole thing planned and I worry I have the slowest/wordiest story telling pace in the world!


	36. The Last Night

**A/N** -Sorry this took so long to upload! I had to do my tax return and then I went on holiday! But I've managed to get it finished and find some painfully slow wifi :) Hopefully I've made up for the wait since its such a long one so you'll need to get comfy with a cup of tea and some biscuits! Also I wanted to say a big thank you to all the lovely words of encouragement, you don't know how much it makes me smile and keeps me writing to know that you are all enjoying this. I will continue this story as long as people want to read it. I just wondered if people were wanting an ending and then to read something new also I have to admit I'm excited to start part two of paths crossed but I don't know if I could manage writing two at once.

* * *

Daryl hauled his father out of the ditch and onto the road where his heavy drunken legs staggered towards Kate before Daryl could scramble out behind him. The sight of his father's hands wrapping around Kate's wrist made his stomach turn as if a mere touch could taint her.

 _Fucking hell_ , he could feel his cheeks burning and his heart pounding. The familiar feelings of every time his father had humiliated him came flooding back.

"You fuckin' this?" Will slurred, he almost sounded proud. "Christ almighty, I wouldn't mind a ride in this," he yanked Kate closer. His hands grasping at her arms, his beady eyes studying every inch of of her and Daryl could only imagine the stench of his breath as it wafted over her face.

"Thats enough!" Daryl grabbed his daddy's shoulders. "Get yer ass home 'fore ya die of exposure," he shoved him towards the turning that lead to the shithole Dixon house. His father could barely walk and as soon as Daryl stopped guiding him he flopped to the middle of the road like a defalted balloon.

"Ya okay?" he touched Kate's arm and wanted to rub away the place where Will Dixon's dirty hands had grabbed her. "Jesus Christ Kate, I'm sorry 'bout this."

"It's okay. I just..." she burst a leak, a flood of tears springing from her big brown eyes right before she span around so he couldn't see her. He felt even more like shit. His heart beat even faster than before. He didn't have a single clue what to do with a crying woman.

"It ain't okay, fuck," he reached out to stroke his hand along her back and give her some sort of comfort, "I'm sorry sweetheart."

She turned back around, her head lowered as her arms wrapped around his waist, "it's not what you think. I just… I can't believe that's the man that hurt you." She sobbed into his chest in a way he could hardly have imagined Miss Upppity sobbing and she felt so small in his arms. He nestled his nose into her hair, breathing in the sultry smell of her and his heart swelled. Even if she was a huge pain in the ass and had claws bigger than a mountain lions, right now she was all soft curves and pure woman. God he loved her more than he thought was possible. All he could think about was holding her and taking care of her.

He pulled a hanky from his pocket, "dry your eyes darlin', don't be cryin' over _that_."

She patted her cheeks with the hanky and sniffed her nose, "I'm so embarrassed."

"Don't be. I love ya no matter how much yer nose is runnin'."

She got that familiar wild look in her eyes and he knew she was embarassaed because she'd shown a bit of weakness. He wasn't going to point out that he liked it. He liked her gentle, vulnerable, feminine side. He liked being able to wear the pants in the relationship for five precious minutes.

"My Daddy's an asshole fer sure but he's too weak to do anythin' but make a fool of himself." He looked at his father all bent over in the road, "I have to walk him home. I'll just move him to the side of the road an' walk ya back to the farm first."

"No." Her hands wrapped around his forearm, "you don't have to do it alone."

His hand covered hers, it was nice to have someone that was just _there_. Nobody had ever just been there for Daryl.

/

Kate followed Daryl up the rickety porch steps of his fathers house to where a jumble of broken lawn chairs were strewn along the deck. The faded brown wood of the siding hadn't been painted in forever and she could see a few flakes of green paint that was ingrained in the wood to tell the tale of what the house looked like when someone loved it. It could be pretty but instead it was tired. She picked a splinter of wood that jutted from the porch railing and watched it fall to the dirt.

"Ya can wait out 'ere if ya like."

Call it morbid curiosity but she wanted to see and one look over her shoulder to the dark crop of trees that surrounded the house was more than enough reason to follow Daryl into the light or wherever he was going. She wrapped Daryl's jacket around herself, "I'd rather come in."

Daryl gave her a look and she wondered if he was hoping she would have stayed on that porch. He didn't say anything, he heaved his father through the screen door that had a giant cat sized hole kicked into the bottom and then the front door that had more than a dozen splits in the wood where it looked like it had been been struck by a bolt or a bullet. The sound of a TV blaring poured out of the door as it opened as did the smell of smoke.

Kate took one last gulp of fresh night air before she followed him. Merle and Harley were sitting side by side on a worn old three seater sofa that was a shade of brown she was sure it hadn't been when it was new. On every surface there was clutter but it wasn't knick knacks and ornaments that reminded her of Lou's house the clutter was over flowing ashtrays, old beer cans, bits of paper and other random collections of junk that needed to be scooped into a black bag for the binman rather than have pride of place about the room. The walls were nicotine yellow and bare of photos or anothing personal.

"Sparky, help yerself to a seat'."

Kate looked at the recliner which had as many stains as it had bits of crap covering it. "Thats Pa's chair," Merle tapped the seat that was in between himself and Harley with a wide smile.

"I'll stand."

Merle shrugged and took a slug of his beer, "suit yerself princess."

She felt the indigation settle on her face as she looked away towards the room that Daryl had taken his father. She couldn't believe he would take care of him like that or that he was even in his life anymore after the childhood he had suffered. Her heart sank at the thought of him being a child and living like this. If it would have been her father she would have left him in that ditch with no second looks.

Harley handed her an unopened can of beer. In his soft as a feather voice he told her, "ya look real nice tonight Miss Katy."

"Thank you Harley," despite his bedraggled black hair and his leather clad body she was starting to realise that Harley was just as gentle as his soft voice, "that's very sweet of you to say."

His smile was lopsided and as quick as it flashed across his face it was gone to the tune of Merle's loud snort of disapproval.

Kate rolled the can of beer between her hands with a decision not to open it while she wondered if her mascara was smudged from her ridiculous emotional outburst. She hated herself for crying in front of Daryl like that but she'd had a lump in her throat for most of the day with the wedding, Charlene's baby, little Lilly and knowing that every second brought her closer to getting on her flight home. Meeting Daryl's father and putting a face to all the horror he had endured as a little boy had been too much to hold in.

"Ya alright princess? Ya not like seeing how the other half live?"

"This isn't how _the other half live_. Have you never heard about bins? Dust pans, brushes? Soap and water? You do realise these things exist?"

"Come again…"

Kate gestured to the room, "how on Earth can you stand this?

"Needs a woman's touch I recon…" he waggled his eyebrows, his eyes landing firmly on her breasts.

"This might come as a shock to you Merle Dixon but I'm willing to let you in on a little secret… Men can get off their lazy backsides and clean just as easily as women can."

"That so?" Merle sniggered, "I betcha have my brother runnin' around in damn circle's. But I guess any man would run after an ass like yers."

"You're insufferable."

"It's a compliment princess. Ya might be my brothers old lady but I still got eyes. Ain't nothin' wrong with lookin'... ya got plenty for a man to look at."

"Perhaps you should avert them and behave like a gentleman."

Harley sniggered and Merle crushed his can of beer before throwing it over her shoulder where it hit the wall and fell to the floor. If he was trying to intimidate her it didn't work, she stood unflinching and considered pouring the can of beer in her hand over his stupid head when Daryl stepped back into the room, shutting the bedroom door tight behind him. "He's out fer the night. Why'd ya let him leave the house when he's like that?"

"I ain't his daddy and I don't give a crap what he gets up to. The sooner he doesn't make it back home the happier I'll be," Merle opened another can of beer and Kate studied Daryl's face. He didn't seem suprised at what his brother said,or upset by it. Bloody hell, these Dixon men really had disfunctional family down pat.

/

Merle threw Daryl a beer that he caught with one hand.

"Ya know yer 'bout twenty years too late for prom baby brother. But if ya'll wanna have a little after prom noogie ya can use my bed. Might wanna change the sheets first… unless ya'll like that kinda thing..."

Sometimes he could literally kill his brother. He let out a long breath and decided not to take the bait as he set the beer down on the table, "Jim and Charlen got married today."

"Ha.. finally put a ring on ol' firecrotch. I don't know how he can stand that bitch chewin' off his ear all damn day. I tried to warn him at the titty bar but he didn't want none of it."

"Course he didn't want none of it… it was his damn bachelor party. Jesus Merle." Daryl rinsed his hands in the sink that was now working since he'd taken a look at the plumbing a few weeks back.

"Well I guess yer no better… why ya not answerin' my calls? Might have anythin' to do with some fancy pussy?"

"I don't answer yer calls cos ya talk a lotta shit, an' if ya say another thing 'bout Kate I'm gonna have to lay ya ass out."

Merle took one long look at Kate as he stood up and moved closer. Daryl felt his fist clench into a ball and every hair on his neck was on end as he waited to see what his brother would do.

"Just take me home," Kate's hand squeezed at his bicep and when he looked at her he didn't like the look she had on her face. Whatever it was he hated that his brother made her feel like that.

She passed the can of beer she was holding to Harley, "goodnight," and took Daryl's hand.

"Miss Katy," Harley called after them and she paused to look back, "when you're settled on the farm, gimme a hollar if ya'll want help fixing up the place."

"Thats kind of you. I'm sure Daryl will do just that."

Merle sunk into the couch, his boots landing heavily on the coffee table to kick off a line of empty beer cans, "fuckin' hell, why don't ya stick yer head up 'er ass too while yer at it Harley?"

That was his cue to leave before he really did get into a fight with his asshole big brother. He pulled Kate outside before he slammed the door shut. "Every man an' his dog thinks you'll be livin' in that farm house with me as of next week. Won't they be surprised…"

"Well perhaps people shouldn't make assumptions."

There was an icy edge in her voice and he knew he was saying all the right words to land them in the middle of another battle of wills. No matter how close they got he wanted more and she'd be damned if she'd give him an inch without a mile of fighting for it. He'd got her on a date, he'd got her in his bed, he'd even managed to get her to say I love you and now he had less than twenty four hours to get her to give him the rest. He wasn't sure it was enough time.

He realised he probably shouldn't force the issue of her staying so soon after she'd just helped him drag his degenerate father home. In fact part of him wasn't sure he should have her or marry her after seeing her standing in that run down old house. He'd never seen something look so wildly misplaced.

The very last thing he ever wanted Kate to see was the fucked up part of his life. Merle was bad enough on his own. The scars on his back were proof enough of his shitty childhood. Throw in the house and his liquor fueled Daddy then she had enjoyed the full nickel tour.

She didn't say much as they walked up the long drive to the Horvath's and he wondered if she was slipping away. She was probably thinking that he would turn into a man like Will Dixon and run the farm into the ground. Sometimes he wondered the same thing. He looked across the miles of fields and knew he didn't deserve it, just like he didn't deserve Kate.

When they stepped into Irma's kitchen there was nobody there to greet them which he was thankful for. He wanted Kate all to himself for the rest of the night although dawn was fast approaching. _3:06AM_ , how had it gotten so late? If he concentrated he could hear the faint snores of two heavy sleepers creeping out of their bedroom and all the way down the stairs. He opened the fridge and pulled out a jug of lemonade to pour them each a small glass.

"I didn't want ya to see all that."

She sipped her lemonade, then set it carefully down on the kitchen counter, "the way you help your father… you're a far better person than I am."

Their eyes locked, "It ain't just him… the house, my brother, that ain't me."

She touched his face, a soft stroke than glided soothingly until her hand settled on his chest, "I know."

"Ya know?" his gaze dropped to her lips.

"Yeah… you're very sweet, very gentle… you're going to make someone very happy…"

 _Someone_. Daryl cupped her chin with his fingers to tilt her head so she was really looking at him, "don't I make _you_ happy?"

"Well…" she hesiated, "yes."

"Then why would I want anyone else?"

"I-"

He didn't want to hear Kate's answer. He pushed her against the kitchen counter until his body was pressed against hers and his lips were stealing any words that might come out.

Her tongue was sweet lemonade against his, her lips were soft and giving. He buried his hand in her hair tilting her head for a deeper kiss. He wanted to forget about his fucked up family and the idea that the clock was ticking down to her flight time. All he wanted to think about was the way her arms held tight around his neck, the way her body curved into his so perfectly as his lips devored hers as they stumbled across the kitchen.

Daryl pushed Kate against the doorjamb, his gaze falling from her lips all the way along her dress, "yer so goddamn beautiful." he'd watched her all day. From the way her dress swished around her legs when she was dancing to the way the lace cupped her breast and the moment he'd realised she didn't have a bra on underneath.

He kissed her collar bone, letting his tongue drag across it before his lips moved lower to press against the tops of her breasts before he eased them out, scraping the wisps of lace down as his heart pounded in anticipation. Her nipples were hard rosy peaks for his tongue to flick and suck, finishing with a bite that made her gasp. He wanted to make love to her until the sun was high in the sky and he had no choice but to let her out of his bed. He ran his nose up her body and nuzzeled his face into her neck before he span her around.

Her hands gripped the doorframe and his body pressed against hers kissing her neck while his fingers unzipped her dress and eased it to the floor.

 _Red panties_. Lacy and sexy as hell. His thumbs traced over the fabric before cupping her ass and squeezing it.

Kate turned to face him and pushed at his shoulders, her face was flushed, her eyes were dark, "what about Dale and Irma?"

"They're sleepin'," he grabbed the back of her thighs, picking her up and wrapping her legs around his waist to carefully carry her up the darkened stairs to his bedroom.

He always used the same room when he stayed at the Horvath's. It had been his Grandfather's in a past life and was the biggest in the house. Irma and Dale's was across the hall and that one had the prettiest view of the fields. It occurred to him that he'd never had a woman in this house before. Kate would be his first. Hopefully his last.

He dropped Kate on the bed. He liked the way she watched as he unbuttoned his shirt, unbuckled his belt then dropped his clothes to the floor until he was naked. He held his lengh in his hand and pumped it under her lidded gaze before he scraped off her panties and fell on top of her. He kissed his way down her body, settling his face between her thighs, scraping his stubble over the sensative skin before his tongue teased her until she was writhing. Kate silenced the noises he was working from her with the back of her arm and he felt like a naughty teenager, making her moan in the dark with Dale and Irma sleeping across the hall.

"Don't stop," she pleaded as her hips thurst off the bed wanting more. He thrust one finger inside to feel her orgasm ripping through her before her body sank down into the bed.

Daryl crawled along her body, gently kissing her stomach and breasts as she came back to him. He rubbed his length against her, enjoying the feeling of her wetness soaking his end. Kate gasped and her heavy lids crept open, one sultry look that told him she was ready for more.

Daryl couldn't wait another moment before he was spreading her legs and sinking into her, stretching her body around his inch by inch. He groaned into the kisses he was plundering her mouth with. The whole day he had watched her in that red dress and thought about the moment he could strip it off and have her underneath him. Every move he made emitted a rhythmic squeak of the old wooden bed.

"They'll hear," Kate panted.

"They won't."

"Daryl," she tried to wiggle away but he grabbed her hips, lifting them higher so he could enter her deeper. There was no way he wasn't finishing this. He slammed into her even harder and the bed groaned louder than Kate. He pulled her up, wrapping her legs back around his waist and carried her to the old oak dresser. This was probably a little sacrilegious on a piece of furniture that was older than his grandfather but he sat her on top, his mouth nipping at her neck before he was inside her again. The dresser rattled with every movement.

 _Jesus_ , he wouldn't have this problem next week, he could fuck her all over the house as loud as he wanted. He pulled her off the dresser and bent her over a chair, giving her bare ass one hard slap before grabbing her hips and pulling her onto him. Every position felt so good, so tight but especially this. One hand swept from her hip to her breast squeezing the soft flesh and teasing her nipples before his finger played between her thighs.

Kate's pants were more run away and he was right at the edge. He pulled out, his balls clenching to hold in the release while he slammed her against the wall, picking up her legs and grinding up into her. Their lips crashed together, his tongue dancing over hers and relishing every breathless groan that escaped.

He kissed the sound she shuddered as her walls tightened around him in time with his own release. He held her tight, his head leaning on her shoulder before he peeled her from the wall to fall onto the bed together. The mattress fell straight through the slats with a colossal _bang_.

"Jesus." _So much for not waking up the Horvaths_.

Kate pressed her laughs into the mattress and all he could think about was at least the bed wasn't going to squeak now and "we don't have a right lotta luck with furniture."

"What's Mrs Horvath going to think?" she exclaimed as her giggling subsided to wide eyed look of horror.

Daryl rolled on top of her and laughed, "I reckon she'll think I've been givin' ya some good ol' fashioned country lovin'."

Kate buried her face in his chest with a groan and he used the opportunity to kiss the top of her head and hold her close. There was no way in hell he could go to sleep. "I don't want this to be our last night together."

"I know."

His heart skipped, "it doesn't have to be, ya could get another visa. We could be like this every day."

He could feel her body stiffen in his arms. "Daryl, please lets not go over this again. I've already told you… I can't just move here."

He hated forcing the conversation but he didn't have any choice. "Well, I want ya to change yer mind." He didn't just want her to, he needed her too, he was certain he'd never love another woman like he loved her. He'd never even want another woman like he wanted her.

"Just like that? Lets just forget about the fact that I'm not allowed to just live here but even if I could it would mean giving up something I've worked my arse off for. Years of studying, juggling everything around Harry… you don't realise how hard it was. I can't exaclty get a position lecturing on Medieval English history just anywhere."

Maybe he was being selfish but, "there are other things ya could do…"

Kate reached around and found her panties, tugging the lace up her legs before jumping from the bed and grabbing the first thing she could to pull on her body. It was the t-shirt he'd been wearing this morning and it hung mid thigh as she yanked it over her head and stepped out of the room.

 _Fucking Hell._

Daryl pulled on his jeans, following her to the bedroom down the hall with the twin beds and faded pink wallpaper. He leaned into the doorway with a frustrated sigh that caught her attention.

"I'm tired and I just can't go over this with you again. I never said I would stay. Do you think its easy for me to keep telling you no?" her finger was pointing in his face and she had that wild look in her eyes that told him she wasn't feeling very sleepy at all.

He slipped his hand up the doorframe, one on either side, "then don't tell me no."

"Goodnight," she shut the door in his face but it was the sound of the deadbolt scraping into place that really pissed him off.

"Kate!" he shouted under his breath. There was no way in hell this was goodnight.

"Go away."

"I wanna talk to ya." she didn't say anything and he felt his blood starting to boil in the way that only she could boil it. "Open the door woman."

"I don't wish to talk to you."

He sucked in a breath through his nose, god she was going to make him fucking crazy. "I'm gonna give ya five seconds to open this goddamn door."

"Will you just bloody well piss off and stop making this difficult."

He gripped either side of the door frame, raised his foot up and _bang_. The door fell open more easily that he had expected. Kate stood next to the bed, her eyes wide, her chest heaving in pure unadulterated yet somehow so very sexy annoyance.

"What the hell's wrong with you?" she screeched.

"I said I wanted to talk."

"Why don't you hit me over the head with a fucking stick as well since you're such a fucking caveman," the nearest thing to hand was an old stuffed rabbit, she hurled it at his head and he punched it away. Then she threw a paperback which he caught with a grin that incenssed her more.

"Is everything alright?" Irma's sleepy voice drifted from down the hall and he turned to see the old lady standing barefoot with her nightdress skimming her ankles.

"Yes ma'am, sorry for the disturbance. I'm tryin' get Kate to... be more agreeable."

"He's an animal Mrs Horvath," Kate spat as she pushed passed him towards Irma. "I think he should leave."

Irma held Kate in her arms and stroked her long hair fussing over her before she turned smiling at him, "you shouldn't go to sleep on an argument. But don't stay up too late Daryl, you have chores to tend in the morning."

"Yes ma'am."

Kate's face dropped and her eyes grew even wider, "Mrs Horvath?"

"Goodnight dear," Irma nudged Miss Uppity towards him before she returned to her bedroom shutting the door behind her.

He hooked a finger in the loop of his jeans, bit back his grin and watched Kate carefully. She was looking at anything but him, her chest still heaving in agitated little breaths and her hands were two balled up fists held tight by her side. He had a feeling he was going to get a whupping before the night was out. Which made him realise she probably couldn't get any more annoyed than she already was.

He took slow steps towards her and she watched his every movement, her eyes darting from his face to his feet. "What are you going to do?"

He didn't answer, he tackled her, throwing her tiny frame over his shoulder like she was a bale of hay.

"Put me down! Right. Now."

"I don't wanna disturb the Horvath's with all yer damn racket."

"My racket? I'm not the one destroying the bloody house," she kicked her legs and smacked her hand againsts his back as he carried her down the stairs.

"Ya love it when I rough ya around," he decided, giving her ass a resounding slap which was like poking a bear with a big stick. He could barely contain her squirming as he marched across the field to where she could scream and shout at him as much as she pleased.

He dropped her down for a soft landing in the long grass but she was anything but soft and gentle right now. Her hands balled into the grass and she threw two fistfuls at him, "you're intolerable. I can't stand you," she shoved him, "I would rather live anywhere but here with you and your fucking biceps." She smacked his arm and he play flinched with a smirk.

"Ya don't think that," he laughed, "so help me I love it when yer all fiesty," he reached for her and she batted his hand away. "Ya already told me that ya love me. I think ya wanna stay if you'll just stop bein' so damn stubborn and think 'bout it for one fucking minute."

"Stop telling me what to think." Kate jabbed her finger into the centre of his chest, "I don't know where the hell you get off kicking in doors and carrying me around like I'm a sack of fucking potatoes." She jabbed him even harder, "I'm in control of my own decisions Daryl Dixon."

Kate began to storm back through the long grass that was caressing across her bare thighs and tugging up the hem of the t-shirt in the most alluring way. Holy fucking shit, if it wasn't for the way she looked he wasn't sure he could stand to put up with all her shit. But hell the woman knew how to walk away and she had the ass for it.

"I didn't fall in love with a woman to let 'er move her ass half way across the damn world." He grabbed her shoulders and spun her back around. "You were mine the moment ya said those three little words an' I ain't lettin' ya go."

"What are you going to do lock me in your fucking basement?"

He grinned, "I don't have a basement."

"Urgh."

He took hold of the crook of her arm, "I have a hay loft ya seemed to enjoy… I could tie ya up there if ya like."

Her jaw clenched and he thought she was definately going to smack him in the head. He likely deserved it too. He gripped her wrists and tried not to look too pleased with himself. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... " he wasn't really sorry, he enjoyed pushing her buttons and watching her temper flare. As much as he loved her softness, he loved her wildness. It made him want to throw her down in this field and do whatever it took to make her scream his name in pleasure rather than anger.

"I don't wanna control ya darlin'." Although she could probably do with some controlling since she had no damn clue what was good for her. "If ya don't wanna live 'ere then I'll come with ya."

"What?" her voice was soft, "give up all this… your family's farm?"

He looked back to the house that had been built by Dixon men, where they had raised their children, laid their heads and lived their lives. "I'd work somethin' out…"

Kate looked around and flopped down into the grass, running her hand along one of the long blades, "you don't mean it... and you'd resent me for it."

"Of course I don't wanna but if that's what it takes… then I would an' I'd stand by my decision."

"You'd regret it, you'd throw it back in my face and then you'd hate me for it."

"I'd never hate ya."

Her eyes locked with his, "I'm hardly the easiest person to get along with."

"I _have_ noticed."

She snapped a blade of grass and flicked it away to let the breeze take it, "we both know you can't really give up this farm. I know what it means to you."

Daryl dropped to his knee to pick up her hand which was so soft and smooth in his, he kissed the back of it and breathed in the sweet smell of her skin, she always smelled so good, "then you'll stay?"

Her eyes locked with his and he could see the wheels turning in her head, her teeth chewing that bottom lip in indescions before she whispered. "No," She pulled her hand away slowly, "you'll stay."

The pain of another no from her was almost too much to bare and as much as she said she hated to tell him it, it was a million times worse to hear her say it and know that she was snatching away the only future he could ever imagine for himself. Before her he'd never thought about tomorrow, or the next day. He'd just existed and now he knew it wasn't enough and she was going to be taking that away.

"This was fun. I've enjoyed being with you and you've made me feel things that I didn't think I'd ever feel again but you want what I can't give to you. Marriage, children… I've already done that and I'm not doing it twice." She ran agitated fingers through her hair and stared off into the distance, "I was a terrible wife and… I'm never replacing Harry. Ever. I don't think I even want to live with someone again."

"Yer wrong," he stood up shaking the grass off his jeans and admitting defeat. When he looked back at Kate, she looked so soft and feminine. All he wanted to do was scoop her up and look after her. If her first marriage had been terrible he was certain it was because she'd been married to the wrong man. He couldn't tell her what to think and he clearly didn't have the time to coax her around. He let out a long sigh as he held out his hand to help her up, "maybe one day you'll realise just how wrong ya are."


	37. Out of Time

_Sunday_

Despite Kate taking a knife to his heart he wasn't prepared to let her walk away from him and head back to the farmhouse. He might not have liked her very much right now but he still loved her and he wanted every last second of her. So instead of going to bed he tugged her along to where the grassy meadow became a small rise. He took a seat on the ground and planted Kate between his legs, his arms wrapping around her, his face burying into her hair.

They sat in complete silence as the dark gave way to the orange glow of morning, the sun rising from behind the trees to kiss Kate's silky legs and signal their very last day.

"It's a beautiful mornin'."

She inclined her head and looked at him, her eyes soft, her lips pursed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

He leaned his forehead into her hair and pressed a kiss to the side of her face, "I'm glad it did." He didn't regret loving her, he just wished that she'd change her mind about running away. He wished she'd let go of all the bullshit baggage that she held onto. He knew he would never understand what it would feel like to lose a husband and child but it didn't mean that he couldn't hate what it had done to her. He wished she could make peace with it and let him help her move on.

"We should head back 'fore Irma sends out a search party."

Kate leaned back into his chest and pulled his arms around her, "can we just stay like this a little longer?"

"Ya know I'd always do whatever ya wanted."

They stayed like that until Daryl pulled Kate up. As nice as it was, this wasn't how he wanted to spend the rest of the day. Although he wasn't sure what he was going to do with her for the next few hours since she had already told him no and he could think of nothing else but thinking of ways to get her to change her mind.

"Where's Kate?" Irma asked as he sank into one of the kitchen chairs. His mind was racing a million miles as he went over every moment of the last eight weeks. It had disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"She's just getting dressed."

Irma gave him an odd look, "did you manage to work things out?"

He felt his stomach tumbling over as he shook his head, his eyes falling to the cup of coffee she set in front of him.

When Kate stepped into the kitchen she was wearing the same sundress she had worn in Charleston and she looked just as pretty. Her hair was still damp from the shower and her face was fresh with nothing but a tan and her big brown eyes to light it up.

"Good morning dear," Irma said as she passed Kate a hot mug, then her attention turned to Daryl and Dale who had taken a seat next to him. "You boys go see to the horses while Kate and I cook up some breakfast."

Dale did as requested but Daryl just sat and stared at Kate until he found the old man's hands tugging at his arm to drag him along.

/

There was an uncomfortable air of tension lingering between herself and Daryl. It would only get worse as the day wore on and she suddenly wished her flight wasn't so late. She could hardly bare to spend the day in some sort of weird suspended animation while she waited for the clock to tick by.

"We'll make pancakes," Irma declared before shuffling around, grabbing up everything she needed. She measured the ingredients then passed Kate the whisk to mix it all together.

"You should have stayed over here more. Its nice having a hand in the kitchen," Irma said as she added the buttermilk into the bowl Kate was unenthusiastically beating. How could she feel enthusiastic? She felt like someone had died and she was just standing around making pancakes.

"You're leaving tonight?" Irma casually pried, her eyes never leaving the batter.

"Yes."

Irma took the bowl from her hand and whipped it with vigour, "dare I say that Daryl won't be the only heartbroken one?"

Kate shook off the flecks of flour that had landed on her dress, "I'm not immune to it." She'd thought maybe she would be after Harry, she thought that maybe she had buried her heart the day she had buried him. Apparently not all of it.

"But you'll still leave?"

Kate walked to the window to look out over the miles of fields, "yes." Leaving was what she was supposed to do, it's what she had planned for and looked towards for the whole year.

"I thought I might be able to leave my kitchen in good hands," Irma said as she took Kate's hands in her own.

Kate gave her a look and Irma chuckled. "Practice makes perfect dear and I made you something…" she dropped Kate's hands before disappearing from the kitchen in an excited hurry. When she returned she held a small ditsy print tin which she passed to Kate. The pink cursive lettering embossed on the front said Recipes. Irma gently pried open the lid to reveal card after card all lined up and carefully written out.

"I copied them for you to have," Irma selected one from the lineup. "I don't have anyone else to leave them too. I even made you a copy of the recipe for my blue ribbon cookies," she placed her hand on Kate's arm and in all seriousness said, "you can never reveal the secret ingredients to anyone."

She closed the lid and clutched the tin to her chest which was feeling painfully tight. Even these last moments with Irma were unbearable, she wasn't sure how on Earth she was going to make it through the day. "I can't have these. I'm sorry Irma," she forced the box back into the ladies hands as she tried to avoid the look of disappointment that fell across her face.

"I understand that it's a leap of faith to move here but Daryl loves you so very much. I can see how much he adores you and I'm sure he wouldn't let you down if you'd only give him the chance."

The idea of spending the rest of the day having conversations just like this was too much to bear. She felt tears pricking at her eyes as adrenaline began to pump along her limbs urging her to run away from the heartbreaking feelings. "I've got to go."

Kate bounded up the stairs to grab her overnight bag, shoving in everything she could see through her watery vision. It wasn't long until she was hurrying across the dirt filled drive with her car keys clasped tight in her hand.

"You can't just leave like this!" Irma called after her and the desperation in her voice made Kate's fingers fumble as she pressed the button to unlock her car.

"I can't spend the day saying goodbye. Its too painful. I'm sorry Irma, for last night and now. I should have never come here. I just couldn't..." she couldn't stop herself from being drawn to him. Every rational part of her wanted to keep him away but every time he got closer there was another part that always wanted more.

"He won't understand. Don't do this to him," Irma pleaded, her wrinkle hand landing on Kate's forearm.

"I'm not trying to hurt him I just can't take this," she held Irma, pressing the side of her head against the old ladies shoulder and taking comfort from the lemony way she smelled and how soft her embrace felt. "I'm sorry," even as she said it she knew she was saying the words to the wrong person and had her arms wrapped around the wrong person but she couldn't face this moment with Daryl. The last time they truly said goodbye.

/

"What do ya mean she's gone?" Daryl roared as he ran outside and remembered he didn't even have his truck. "Fuckin' hell," he placed his hands on his knees and doubled over.

Irma's hand was gentle and comforting on his back.

"Why?" he demanded.

"She was upset. She didn't want say goodbye to you."

"What 'bout what _I_ want?"

 _Fuck_ , she was the most stubborn, pig headed, god awful, heartbreaking, runaway woman he would ever meet. He wanted to put her over his fucking knee for pulling this shit. He'd never felt so much frustration towards another person or so much fury in his entire life.

He straightened up and his heart pounded hard. "I need the keys to yer truck."

Dale's eyes were wide with worry, "please drive safe,"

"I will," Daryl dived into the driver's seat to race all the way to her house. There was no sign of her car but she could have parked it elsewhere. It was a long damn time until she had to make her flight.

His fist pounded on the door as he shouted her name but there was no answer. He jumped down the steps and looked at all the windows, "Kate!" There was no sign of anything and he knew she had already packed up all her belongings over the past few days.

He pulled his cell from his pocket, scrolled to her number and pressed call. It rang and rang before connecting to her voicemail. He tried countless times before sending her a text.

 **Daryl** : _Answer your phone_.

He sat in Dale's truck waiting for what felt like hours but must have been more like 15 minutes. His leg was twitching, his heart was racing. He was beginning to question why the hell he had fallen in love with her in the first place. He checked his phone for the hundredth time before sending another text.

 **Daryl** : _I need to talk with you. If any of it meant something to you then you would answer your phone._

He couldn't just sit around waiting, he started the engine and sped to Lou's house. He'd been there once or twice over the past eight weeks and the old man answered the door immediately.

"Is she here?" Daryl demanded.

The smile on Lou's face dropped, his brows furrowed, "Kate? Is everything alright son?"

That's when Daryl broke. She wasn't there. She could have been anywhere. He crumpled against the door and Lou tugged him inside to take a seat on the brown leather sofa in his sitting room.

/

Kate sat in the airport lounge staring at the missed calls and texts from Daryl. After today he'd probably hate her and that would be better for him. He could hate her and then forget about her. Charlene would probably tell him "I told you she was no good" and he would move on with his life. He could find someone to give Irma's tin of recipes and have a life with someone who wasn't as broken as she was.

She was quickly realising that she was probably too fucked up to ever allow herself to be happy. She would never get over losing Harry and she'd probably spend the rest of her life with the terrible feeling that something bad was going to happen. Or perhaps something bad would happen because she was waiting for it. Her phone illuminated with another message and her stomach squeezed in anticipation of what it was going to say.

 **Daryl** : _Please sweetheart. Please don't do this to me._

Her heart clenched so tight she thought it might collapse in on itself. A big tear tumbled down her cheek followed by more. She scooped up her hand luggage and hid in a stall in the ladies toilets. She realised she had to say something to make it easier for him, or maybe make it easier for her. She needed to rip him from her life hard and fast. Every text message and missed call was making the inevitable more difficult.

 **Kate** : _It's over. Stop trying to contact me._

/

Daryl read the message on his phone and all the feelings of hurt were replaced with nothing but anger.

He stormed out of Lou's house and threw his phone to the pavement where it smashed to a thousand pieces. He wouldn't contact her again. He was done. He absolutely fucking hated her like he'd never felt before.

After a curt goodbye to Lou he got into Dale's truck and drove all the way to the farm. He parked it out front but didn't wait for any greetings from the old couple. He just marched from field to field to woods until he was in deep and picking up a stick to take to the side of his fort. He hit it hard, he wanted to tear something to pieces. He wished he'd never taken that job at the museum and ended up in this mess.

"Fuckin' bitch," he roared before flopping into a pile on the floor.

He heard a shuffle amongst the undergrowth and lifted his head to see Merle.

"Fuckin' hell, why don't ya crawl back from where ya just came from?" Daryl growled as he pulled his ass from the floor.

"Don't be an asshole," Merles finger pointed at him before he heaved Daryl's crossbow off his shoulder and shoved it in his hands.

"Thats rich comin' from the biggest fuckin' asshole I ever met!"

"Well at least I do it with a bit of style baby brother." Merle's wide grin was too much to bare most days, today it was like a red flag to a raging bull.

"Just fuck off Merle, I ain't interested in yer fuckin' bullshit."

"Don't get ya panties all bunched up over Sparky. I told ya a thousand times, ya can't trust bitches. We only got each other."

"Fuck you."

"I'd say it back but looks like Sparky already fucked ya right over. Cryin' on the floor like a fuckin' pussy."

Daryl threw his crossbow at Merle's head and his brother dodged it but he didn't dodge the edge of Daryl's knuckles that flew after. He struck Merle right in the nose and the waterfall of blood was immediate.

"You little fucker," Merle bellowed as she punched Daryl in the head.

Fists and boots flew around everywhere. He hadn't fought like this with Merle in years.

Merle had Daryl's face pushed in the dirt and his arm locked in a stress position, "say uncle."

"No!"

"Say it asshole."

"Fuck off Merle, just fuck off," he slumped, all the fight was gone, it wasn't Merle he wanted to have things out with, it was a tiny little English heartbreaker.

"What ya gonna do now Romeo?"

Daryl stood to his feet, "nothin'. I'm done with women and their fuckin' bullshit." God, he never wanted to look at another fucking woman for as long as he lived.

"Good," Merle handed him his crossbow, "it can be just like old times. Go huntin', find some trouble, I've missed ya baby brother."

Old times with Merle. No responsibilites. He could pour bourbon on his hurt, drown it until it was dead and it would be so easy. He threw his crossbow on his shoulder and pressed his finger to the spot where Merle had his his cheek. It would be bruised in the morning but it would never hurt more than the damage Kate had done. "Let's go," he said, he wanted to do anything but think about her.

/

Kate wasn't sure how long she had been sat in her hiding spot only that by now she had a pool of tissues scrunched in her lap. Her head was pounding and her throat was thick from the silent sobbing that had wracked her since she had sent Daryl that final message. She was supposed to be making the break easier for herself but this felt unendurable.

She checked her phone. Part of her hoped Daryl had ignored her request but her heart sank as she saw that for once he was listening to her and doing precisely as she had asked.

What was she even doing right now?

How could she just leave him?

All she was doing was causing herself more pain.

She grabbed her phone from her purse and dialled his number. Her heart was in her throat with worry. She was afraid to hear his voice and terrified she might never speak to him again. The call went straight to voicemail and she imagined him declining it. She deserved it, he might never want to answer her calls again. She tried him twice more before leaving a message.

"Hey, it's me," she paused, swallowing the sting of tears. "I'm sorry, I thought I could just walk away. I can't. Maybe you're right about everything. I'll be flying out soon but If you're really serious about us, then call me and perhaps we can work something out. I love you Daryl. I didn't ever set out to hurt you."

Kate ended the call and stared at her phone watching the clock tick by then refreshing the screen worrying that she'd missed his call or a text. If he could forgive her then he would call her back, if not, she would have her answer and know that she had ruined everything.

She waited in hiding with her phone in one hand and a fistful of tissues in the other until a British accent sounded over the tannoy making the final call for her flight. She couldn't keep her place in the ladies any longer, she had no choice but to move even if she didn't want to have to face another person. She brushed the line of tears from her lower lashline and scooped all the used tissues into the bowl before flushing her hurt away.

It was over. He hadn't called and the weight of it settled in every limb until merely moving felt like swimming upstream. She forced herself out of the stall to check her face in the mirror. Two puffy red eyes born from hours of crying stared back. She felt completely stupid as she splashed water on her face and tried to push away the urge to cry some more. At one time she would have thought a person could only have so many tears before they ran dry but she knew that they could last for endless days if she let them.

She'd never cried over a man like this and the worse part was that she had only herself to blame. "Stupid," she chastised herself, she needed to pull it together, hold all her pieces on her own like she'd grown accustomed to.

Kate ran heavy fingers through her hair straightening it out before grabbing her bag and hurrying to the departure gate. This was it, she was supposed to be going home but it felt more like she was leaving home behind.

She handed her ticket to the flight attendant and boarded the plane to find Lou waiting.

"Where in gods name have you been lass?"

She squeezed past him to take her seat, shoving her handbag in the footwell before buckling up, "I'm here now."

"Aye by the skin of your teeth girl, I was worried sick about you."

"I'm okay."

"Are you?"

She stared out of the window, "I'll be okay."

Lou huffed and she could feel him adjusting his seatbelt as the plane began to taxi to the runway, the captain making his announcements and the air stewards going over the emergency procedures. She closed her eyes and tried to ignore it all. God she hated flying.

/

The sunny skies gathered to grey as the clouds rolled in and suddenly rain began to pour down over Georgia. A spike of lightening was followed by the low rumble of distant thunder. Daryl's broken phone sat long abandoned in the road. A tire rolled over the twice cracked screen, making sure it was shattered and flattened to the tarmac where the drops of summer rain were streaming. The thunder continued to roll in, the lightening brightening the sky outside Lou's empty rental house as the downpour fell from the sky in thick sheets. The current of the rain as it pooled on the tarmac began to weave between the scattered pieces, picking them up like tiny sailboats and washing them to the gutter.


	38. The One That Got Away

"How many of those have you had lass? Katy? Kate!"

She snapped from her trance, her eyes peeling from staring at the blackness that filled her little window to Lou. "Pardon?"

"I said how much have you drank?" he was clutching a handful of tiny glass bottles.

Kate leaned her head back in the seat and closed her eyes. She didn't feel drunk. She just felt numb. Numb was good.

"It's never too late. You don't have to feel this heartache lass," his hand rested on her thigh giving it a light squeeze.

"I don't want to talk about it."

The flight touched down on time at 11:35 GMT. She'd managed to snatch a couple of hours sleep somewhere along the nine hour flight but she still felt like shit. Exhausted, empty, hungover, miserable. She followed Lou to passport control and went through the motions of finding their luggage until they were making their way to the arrivals lounge to find Lou's son Christopher waiting for them with a wide smile.

He embraced his father before turning to Kate with a kiss for her cheek before his eyes studied her, "it's been a long time."

It had been years since she had seen Chris in the flesh. He only got better with age, how was it that men did that? "You look well."

He grinned, "you look like shit."

"You sure know how to make a girl feel special."

"Where are your manners son!" Lou chastised him but Chris shook off the admonishment with a carefree chuckle as he took control of the luggage trolley.

Kate was feeling too deflated to care about anything but staring at her phone with its 9% battery life left. No missed calls, no texts, nothing. She sighed and shoved it in her bag, "I'll catch up to you both."

The men turned to face her. "Come on lass, let's get you settled before you go swanning off to who knows where." Lou had invited her to stay in his flat for the next week while she waited for the house she'd decided to rent to become available. She knew she could have stayed with him until September when classes started up but she didn't want to impose.

"No, I'm okay," she plastered on a smile, "you two should go spend time together. It's been ages since you've seen each other and I have things to do."

Lou was reluctant but eventually he said goodbye and she stepped out of Heathrow airport into the afternoon drizzle wearing her parker over her summer dress which was wildly inappropriate for this chilly English summer day.

"Where to, luv?" the cab driver asked and before long they were pulling up outside the cemetery where Kate hadn't stepped foot since she had laid Harry and Ryan to rest. It took her a long time to find the plot which had once sat alone but was now one amongst many.

There were fresh lilies sitting in the vase. She knew that Jessica visited every week to replace them. She stood for a long time staring at the headstone and grass that covered the plot. When she had last been here it had been nothing but a rectangle of soil. She hadn't wanted to return to see Harry's name and his date of birth etched in stone.

It was a cold dreary day, a world away from the hot, humid Georgia heat. Her skin was prickled with goosebumps and the chill was starting to make her teeth chatter. She fell to the ground, bare knees sinking into the wet grass before she lay down across the plot just like she had done the day she buried them. She'd wanted to be with him, to be as close as possible but that day strong hands had pulled her away. It had been one of Ryan's best friends and her Uncle John They'd pulled her to the car and when she had made it home she'd told them to 'fuck off', in those exact words.

Kate had come home to be with Harry but now she was finally accepting he was gone. Really, truly gone. She was as close to him right now as she was ever going to be again and he had no idea. She couldn't see him, hold him, talk to him. She was just lying on the grass, damp with rain and freezing.

She let out a long shuddery sigh, her body was trembling even faster with the cold. There was nothing for her here. Aside for the distant screeching of a train there was nothing but silence. She scrambled for refuge under the leafy canopy of a beech tree and checked her phone. No messages. Just as she was about to load the Skyscanner app the screen faded to black, her battery finally calling quits on all her incessant checking.

Kate suddenly felt more alone than ever.

She walked to the Tesco Express that was down the road and used the payphone outside to call another cab. She didn't want to face Lou and all his worrying when she was such a state so she went to Isy's.

"Did you take a dip in the Thames?" Isy exclaimed as Kate stood on her doorstep like a bedraggled dog, her wet hair hanging limp.

"Its raining."

"But you're soaked through," Isy tugged her arm, pulling her to the bathroom where she helped her peel off the layers of soggy clothes before turning on the shower as Kate stood there in bra and knickers. "Get in and I'll make you a brew."

"Thank you."

Isy squeezed her hands, her dark eyes studying her before her lips tugged into a sympathetic smile. Kate was glad she'd decided to come here, it was just what she needed. She never had to put up a front with Isy. They accepted each other, warts and all.

When she climbed out of the shower Isy handed her a pair of mens jogging bottoms and an oversized t-shirt then she sat on Isy's slouchy red sofa with a mug of tea clutched to her chest, her body all bundled up in a huge faux fur throw.

"Better?" Isy smiled.

"Much."

"I'm surprised to see you here," Isy said.

"I know. We weren't supposed to meet until tuesday."

"It's not that! I'm glad you're here in the flesh I just…" Isy laughed. "I thought you might have eloped to Vegas with your new man. I thought I might have to take a long holiday in Georgia."

"Elope to Vegas?" her mind whirled. "That's not exactly my style. Changing my whole life for a man would have been too crazy… right?" Not to mention Daryl hadn't even called her back.

"Do you remember what you told me when you found out you were expecting Harry?"

"Probably not anything good."

"You said your life was royally fucked and that you were going to be a terrible mother because you couldn't even keep Ryan's spider plant alive."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"You were a great mum. I mean you had some wobbles," Isy laughed, "remember when you cut the tip of Harry's finger off with the baby nail clippers? I think you cried even more than he did."

"Oh god," Kate gagged, "why on Earth are you reminding me about that?"

" _I've ruined my baby_ ," Isy mocked in a melodramatic wail and despite herself Kate laughed. It was nice to talk to someone who had real memories of Harry rather than relying on just her own. Although there were probably about a million stories that were more welcome than that one.

Isy smiled softly, "sometimes the best things aren't the things we plan for."

"I pretty much fucked everything up with Daryl. I walked out on him without a goodbye and told him not to contact me again and he hasn't." Even if by now she had called him more times than she'd liked to admit and their text conversation was a sea of one sided green bubbles.

"You're such a fucking drama queen K. I don't know how you find men to put up with you!"

"Oh thanks, some bloody best friend you are."

Isy laughed wickedly, "well I tried my best to be a good friend. Now I can be all selfish and say I'm pleased you fucked things up because I've missed you."

"I missed you," she set her tea on the floor and nestled against Isy, "who's pants am I wearing?"

"Remember that man I was seeing? I kept the comfy pants, chucked the boyfriend."

Kate spent the night at Isy's house. They watched 'Peep Show', drank a bottle of wine and ate Chinese takeaway. When she woke the next morning the first thing she did was check her phone and her heart broke all over again.

/

It had been two weeks since Kate had walked out of Daryl's life.

"Well this is it," Irma said as she inspected the house, fingers brushing over curtains, eyes taking in every inch, saying goodbye in her own way. "I made something for you," she hurried over to the burlap bag that was sitting by the armchair and pulled out a multicoloured bundle all tied with string before shoving it into his hands.

"What is it?" Daryl asked as he began to untie the string and unroll the delicately stitched little rectangle.

"It's a baby blanket. I've made them for all the babies in the family for over thirty years."

"Fer Charlene?"

"No, I just said I made it for _you_ dear."

"What the heck am I gonna do with it?".

"Put a baby in it of course."

His ears flushed red and he choked on air. He certainly didn't want to discuss baby making with Irma who was like a mother to him. He also wasn't sure if she'd noticed but he was currently a bachelor and that wasn't changing any time soon, or likely ever.

"You can't just sit around moping all day, you have to get out there and do something about it."

"Nah, I'm through with all that," even if he had picked up a passport form yesterday. It had only been a moment of madness after yet another person had reminded him he was going to be "real lonely on that big old farm." He'd shoved the form at the bottom of his draw under a stack of Levi's and there was no way in hell he was filling it out.

"You're gonna need little ones to leave all this land to aren't you Daryl? What's the point in having it all if there are no more Dixons after you? Don't disappoint me dear."

He rolled the blanket back up and set it on the sofa. "Thanks," he supposed she was right and if nothing the little blanket would serve as a nice reminder that the only woman he could even think about sharing his life with was an ocean away. Hell, she didn't even want children, she didn't even want him. The thought tortured him like it had done for the past two weeks before he squashed it down with a low grunt.

Irma chuckled away to herself like she knew something he didn't as she plumped up the sofa cushions one last time, "you'll figure it out… I wouldn't mind seeing one more wedding and some good news before it's my time."

 _Jesus, talk about a fucking guilt trip._

She wrapped him in one of her lemony hugs which he breathed in all the way. "There's some stuff up in the attic that you might be interested in."

"What stuff?"

"Things that were here when we bought the place. I didn't feel right throwing them or giving them away." She stroked her palm along his face, her eyes were filled with motherly warmth "now walk me to the motorhome, won't you?"

With a heavy heart he did as he was told, taking Irma's arm in his and meeting Dale who was waiting by the Winnebago with his fishing hat and a sad smile.

"Take care of the place. You know we're only a phone call away," Dale said before he hugged him. It was one of only the handful of times he'd ever been hugged by the old man.

"I won't let you down." He almost had. The day when Kate left he'd almost followed Merle to Ed's bar, and the bottom of a bourbon bottle. At some point, as he had walked through the trees that led to the bar, he'd changed his mind. His fury had dissolved in the rain and his hurt had wanted the comfort of Irma's kitchen instead of anything his brother could ever provide.

"Take care Daryl. I'm proud of you, getting your life together and stepping up for us," Irma smiled.

"Thanks Ma'am, I'm gonna miss ya'll."

"Maybe we'll send you one of those postcards," Irma chuckled, her eyes dancing with excitement as Dale helped her into her seat.

With a heavy heart Daryl wondered if this would be the last time he would ever see the old lady again as he stood with his hands in his pockets and watched the Horvath's driving away.

Now he was really truly alone.

Daryl wiped his hand over his face, before scratching at the stubble that was overtaking his jawline as he looked over Dixon land. He didn't want to mar this moment with heartache so he decided to see what was in that attic.

He put his thumb and his middle finger in his mouth to sound off a large whistle and his puppy bounded out from wherever she'd been causing trouble.

"Come on Lady," he nodded to the coonhound who sat with her head cocked to the side and a too big stick in her jaws.

What Jim and Charlene had been thinking when they lumbered him with this damn dog he wasn't sure but lumbered he was. One look at her puppy dog eyes and he'd been sucked in. He couldn't even resist letting the little slobber machine find a place to sleep in his bed instead of her puppy crate. _Damn dog._

Daryl settled Lady in the kitchen with her favourite toy before he ran up the stairs. He pulled the little cord on the attic door to release the set of wooden ladders that could do with being replaced. From his pocket he pulled a notebook and pencil which served as his little snagging list. Over the past couple of days it had become a big snagging list and added 'ladders' to the bottom of the very long line.

He tested the first wrung with caution before bounding up the rest. It was dark, he could just make out the pull string for the light that was swinging from the ceiling. He pulled the cord and the bulb flicked on, giving a faded yellow glow that didn't quite reach all corners of the attic. One thing was for certain, there was a whole lot of shit up in this attic. _Jesus_.

Past the stacks of boxes he noticed a shape in the corner that was covered over with a heavy white sheet. He clambered over the obstacle course that blocked his way so he could pull off the covering. Daryl let out a pained laugh. It was a little wooden baby cradle, of all the fucking things. Maybe the universe was trying to tell him something or maybe it was just fucking with him. Daryl decided on the latter and threw the sheet back over the top.

He forced open one of the many cardboard boxes to take a peek inside and found old photographs. Most people he didn't recognise but some he did. There was a photo of his grandfather when he was just a teenager. Daryl chuckled at the photo before shoving it back into the box with the idea that he would get someone to help him take all this stuff from the attic and go through it all one day. But now he had work to do, and plenty of it.

He jumped down the ladders and headed down the hall where he paused at his bedroom. He knew he shouldn't, he knew it was unhealthy and a little insane but he did it anyway. He stalked over to the closet, let the door swing open and his eyes landed on the red lace dress that was hanging amongst his shirts and jackets. He should probably have donated it to goodwill or just thrown it in the trash but it was the only part of her he had left.

He inhaled the smell of perfume that still lingered in the fabric and his heart ached with longing. He'd thought the scent would remind him of how nice her lips felt against his or how great it was to have sex with her. It didn't. It made him think of the way his chest filled up with air enough to burst when she looked at him and the the hurricane of bees that would swarm around his body when she smiled or when he made her laugh. It reminded him that the only person to ever make him feel this way was gone and that she was probably the only person that would ever make him feel that way. The only person he wanted to feel that way about.

 _Stop being such a huge fucking pussy._ He had to stop torturing himself. Tomorrow he would gather all traces of Kate and babies then donate the shit to where it could be of use.


	39. February

_February_

Daryl knocked lightly on the glossy yellow door.

"Hey man," Jim's eyes bore two heavy bags but his face held a smile filled with pride, "come take a look."

Daryl stepped through the door to see Charlene dozing on the sofa all curled up in a little ball with her arm as a pillow under her head. He met Jim's smile then moved around the sofa to take a peek at the main event. Two bassinets sat side by side next to Charlene and each contained a little blue bundle.

"Jesus," when Jim and Charlene had announced they were expecting twins Daryl had snorted his beer out of his nose at the bad luck in it. Seeing them here all scrunched up in their little sailboat covered baby-gro's he couldn't help but melt and think how lucky his friends were.

The boys had been born almost three weeks ago but they had only been home since yesterday. They were named Rex for Jim's grandfather and Wade for Charlene's. They weren't identical and already he could see the differences. Wade was fair with the tiniests wisps of his mama's red colouring. Rex was more like his daddy with a full head of thick dark hair. Both had the tiniest little button noses, scrunched up hands and soft little pursed lips as they snoozed contentedly.

"They givin' ya'll hell?" Daryl chuckled as he watched Jim half falling asleep where he stood.

"Eh, what?" Jim spluttered, regaining his senses.

"Nothin'," Daryl chuckled again but part of him couldn't help the stab of jealousy that struck him like it so often did when he was with Jim and Charlene.

"Get you a coffee?" Jim said.

"I'll get it," Daryl patted his friend's back before watching him collapse into the armchair with a sigh then he made his way to the kitchen to get the coffee machine going.

There was a pile of dirty dishes sitting uncharacteristically on the side. He he craned his neck back to the living room to see the whole Fulton family sleeping peacefully to the tune of Jim's light snores before rolling up his sleeves and filling the sink.

With his coffee in hand and the washing up drying on the drainer he made his way back into the lounge. One of the babies was stirring, kicking his little legs and hitting his fists against the mattress hard enough to shake his bassinette. Daryl watched him in awe. He couldn't believe that just a few weeks ago this perfect little person had been inside Charlene's tummy. It was bizarre yet at the same time the most normal thing in the world.

The baby's kicks became more agitated. Daryl glanced at Charlene who was still getting some much needed sleep. With a resigned sigh he set his coffee on the mantle of the fireplace next to the wedding photo that stood pride of place. He hesitated, positioning his hands which seemed so large before they finally wrapped around the tiny little bundle.

He couldn't believe how light Rex's little body was as he cradled him in his arms trying to settle him down. He put his nose to the soft hair to breathe in some of that new baby smell that everyone kept banging on about. All he could smell was sour milk and lotion. Didn't smell too great in his opinion but what did he know about babies?

He walked to the window, patting Rex's diaper covered bottom in the way he had seen people do at some point or another. Then he heard Wade beginning to stir. His attention turned to the other bassinet.

"What the hell?" Daryl whispered to himself as he shifted Rex awkwardly in his arms while he tried to figure out how to pick up Wade.

 _Fucking hel_ l, this was like baby Tetris. A goddamn nightmare but he figured it out eventually and with plenty of difficulty as he held them like a pair of footballs and walked around the room as quietly as he could.

"You stealing my babies?" Charlene mumbled.

"Hell no!" 20 minutes of pacing was definitely enough.

"You alright keeping hold of them while I fetch their milk?" Charlene didn't wait for his answer, she rubbed her tired eyes and padded into the kitchen for what felt like forever before she emerged with two tiny bottles and daryl breathed a sigh of relief.

She took Wade from one arm before replacing the baby with a bottle.

Daryl stared at the bottle, "ya want me to?"

"Mmm hmm."

After a couple more hours at the Fulton's he was all babied out and pleased to be getting back into his truck and heading home. He smiled as he passed the Dixon sign that stood at the end of the drive. He'd replaced it a few days after the Horvath's left and even after seven months it still made him smile. It probably always would.

When he pulled up outside the house he spotted Zach and Rooster standing around like two headless chickens. "What ya'll doin'?" he shouted as he climbed out of his truck.

"Just waitin' on you boss," Rooster grinned.

"Ya'll finished in the fields?"

"Yes Sir," Zach enthused.

Lady bounded over to take her place at his side. He'd thought it would be best to leave the little hell raiser here while he went to see the twins.

"Ya'll better get started on the stables then…" he gestured to Rooster and Zach who he knew were probably just waiting around for the fresh batch of cookies that were wafting their enticing smell out of the kitchen window.

"Aw! Ain't you gonna make her bring one out to us? We've been waiting on those cookies for the past twenty minutes," Rooster grumbled.

"Ya mean ya'll have been waitin' on my dime? I'll be settin' a goddamn cookie ban if ya'll don't get movin'."

He bounded up the porch and into the kitchen before grabbing a cookie and shoving it in his mouth. _Goddamn_ , these cookies were good.

"Will you put that dog outside? She's such a nuisance."

Daryl turned to Lady who was sitting like butter wouldn't melt, except for the way her tongue was inching out to try and scoop up an unsuspecting cookie off the cooling rack on the kitchen table.

"Sorry girl," he whispered to the coonhound as he shuffled her outside, shutting the screen door and trying to ignore the puppy dog eyes that got him every time.

"Ya could have come with me to see the twins."

"I thought you might like to go alone," her hands sat on his chest and his breathing faltered, "there's something about little babies… don't you think Daryl?"

He cleared his throat as he inched away, "they're alright."

Cassie's lips on his were gentle and just as unexpected as they had been when she first kissed him. He closed his eyes, trying to give himself into the kiss and to the woman behind it but he couldn't. He couldn't kiss her and conjure the feeling that he wanted to have when he kissed a woman.

He pulled back and gripped her wrists, "I have to go tend the horses."

"I know," Cassie smiled, turning back to the cookies she was baking for some church bake sale that always seemed to be coming up. He wasn't even entirely sure why she was in his kicthen right now but he did like that it wasn't empty.

He ran up stairs to his room before stripping off the fresh shirt and jeans he had pulled on for visiting the babies. He dug through his dresser to find some work jeans and a t-shirt. Then like he so often did, he found the photo of Kate that was hidden, but accessible, under a pile of clothes in his drawer.

It was a shot taken at Jim and Charlene's wedding. Jason had seen fit to bring it over along with several others just after Kate had left and he was feeling at his most miserable. He'd wanted to throw it away but he hadn't. Just like he still hadn't thrown away the red dress.

Daryl got the photo out of its hiding spot more times than he wanted to ever admit to anyone. He hadn't seen her or spoken to her for the last seven months but he'd thought about her everyday. Seeing Jim's babies today had only made him think about her more than ever. He was still in love with her. He wanted more than anything for it to be Kate downstairs in that kitchen right now.

"Jesus," he wasn't sure how things had gotten in so deep with Cassie. He'd seen her at Jim and Charlene's a few times and she'd obviously forgiven him for making her look stupid that day at the fair or at least she didn't mention it. One night she had turned up at the farmhouse with a crock pot full of something delicious. It had tasted so good after a long day at work that he'd agreed for her to do it again. Over the last few months she'd brought him dinner, lunch, sometimes even breakfast. She'd started spending time at the farm and tending Irma's vegetable garden. It had been nice having the help and he thought she enjoyed mothering him as much as he enjoyed being mothered when he had been working full time at the museum on top of everything with the farm.

Last night he had slumped on the sofa in exhaustion, enjoying the feeling of a full tummy. Cassie had taken a seat next to him but instead of flicking on the TV like she usually did her hand had landed on his thigh and her lips had pressed against his. Apparently she wanted to take care of him in all ways. He liked her cooking and looking after him so much that he could hardly think of a way to say 'no', even if it had felt wrong.

Cassie hated his smoking, she hated his Daddy, she hated Merle, she hated the motorcycle that he tinkered on when he should have been working. She even hated his dog. But she loved the farm and she loved taking care of him. It should have been an easy choice to let her in his empty bed. She'd be a real useful partner even if he did have to pretend he'd quit smoking and try his best to keep Lady out from under her feet.

But dammit, he didn't want useful, practical Cassie with her mousy hair, disapproving looks and a swear jar that he filled most months. He wanted wild, impractical, Kate with her stubborn streak a mile wide, her curves in all the right places and kisses that set his whole body on fire. Even now he wanted her just as much as he always had. He didn't know how Kate would fit on this farm with him except to just be there making him laugh, making him crazy and looking goddamn gorgeous. But she was the one for him and before he settled, he had to know.

In the same drawer as the photo was the passport he'd swore he wouldn't apply for. He grabbed it from its spot.

Cassie was going to fucking kill him. Charlene probably would too.

He grabbed his cellphone off the top of the dresser and called Jason's number.

"Hey."

"Ya still wantin' to help me book some flights?"

"Really?" he could hear the excitement in Jason's voice. "When for?"

"Sooner the better or I might change my mind." Either that or Cassie would trick him into marrying her. "Ya think ya can watch over the farm for me?"

"I've been tellin' ya I will for months! I'm coming over, you better have your credit card at the ready."

Daryl grunted. He'd forgot about that part. All his savings. Maybe flying across the world for a woman wasn't the best idea. He looked at the photo once more and he knew it wasn't even an option.

Jason sat hunched over his laptop with a million windows open as he tried to plan the soonest and cheapest way for Daryl to get over the Atlantic in the next few days.

Daryl was only thankful that Cassie had disappeared off to church with her stacks of cookies leaving behind a small plateful and a note that said, 'thanks for letting me use your oven :)'. Apparently Cassie's oven was too old for any serious baking and Daryl's kitchen was just "better" in her words.

"You can leave in two days," Jason said. "Yer sure 'bout this?"

He crushed his palm against his eyes and shook his head, "ya think its stupid?"

"Yup. But sometimes you gotta be stupid."

"What ya think she's gonna say?"

"I dunno, but a man flies across the world, hopefully she won't say much of anythin' if ya know what I mean," Jason winked shamelessly and Daryl couldn't help but pray he was right. The idea that he could have Kate's body wrapped around his in a few days was enough to leave him with a strain in his jeans.

"What ya gonna do 'bout Cassie?"

"I dunno, we were never a couple, she's just been comin' around on 'er own."

"Spoken like a damn dog," Jason grinned with a shake of his head.

"Shit." What had he been thinking letting Cassie help herself to his life? He'd just been so busy working all hours and missing Kate like he'd lost a damn limb that he'd never noticed how much she was coming around. He'd never realised her intentions or maybe he'd just ignored them and figured it didn't matter because he was never going to make a move on her.

"If yer lucky Kate will sort Cassie out if ya ever get 'er back here. How ya gonna know where to find her anyway?"

"Lou gave me her new address in one of his letters. Said I should contact her."

"Sneaky old bastard," Jason laughed, "why didn't ya?"

"I was pissed off."

"An' now?"

"I'm still pissed off but I... I just need to know if she's changed her mind."

"Air mail would be a damn sight cheaper for ya to ask 'er how she feels."

"I need to show 'er how much I want 'er. I need to have my hands on 'er when I tell her how much she goddamn pissed me off and how much I still love 'er. An' I figure I've got a better chance of winnin' 'er over face to face."

Jason laughed hard. "What is it they say 'bout wishful thinkin'?"

"Just book the damn tickets."


	40. Suprise

**A/N** \- Sorry for the wait between chapters. I had terrible writers block then I started binge watching stuff on Netflix. But I'm determined to finish part one then I might take a little break from writing for a while. Anyone that writes on here will understand how time consuming it can be and I feel so bad when I don't update!

* * *

Daryl clutched tight to his passport and his ticket as he headed towards the gate. He couldn't believe he was going to be spending the next nine hours soaring through the sky instead of safely on the ground. His stomach had been churning in anticipation ever since Jason had booked the tickets and the sickly feeling was only worse now. He popped the valium that Jim pilfered from his mother and hoped the effects would start before he lost all self control.

 _Jesus_ , the idea of flying had been almost enough on its own to stop him from booking these tickets when he should have done. Luckily for Daryl the Valium worked its magic and he managed to spend most of the flight squished between two complete strangers and fast asleep.

When he finally got past the sullen woman who gave him hell at immigration control he could finally enjoy the feeling of the ground firmly under his boots. He'd only packed hand luggage so he quickly made his way outside to breath in a lungful of crisp English air. Instead of finding refreshment and relief suddenly the real panic set in. Apparently his fear of flying was just a distraction from the nerves he had at seeing Kate again. Plus it was absolutely fucking freezing.

Daryl pulled his leather jacket around himself and shuddered. He didn't think it would be hot but there was actual ice on the ground and when he exhaled the stream of air puffed from his lips like dragon's breath.

 _Brrr_.

He stood rooted to the icy spot as his stomach churned with nerves and self doubt. He couldn't escape the heart racing feeling that he was too late and he'd already fucked everything up by taking so long.

Daryl began to wonder if this whole plan was a stupid idea. Turning up without even calling. What if she didn't want to see him? What if she didn't love him anymore? Seven months was a very long time. Why had he left it so long?

For months he'd been putting off doing what he needed to do. But it was all excuses. He hadn't had money to spend on the tickets. He hadn't had time when he was working a full time job at the museum and pretty much a full time job at the farm. More than anything he knew if he went to see her and she said 'no' then it would really be over. The finality of that scared the shit out of him.

He spent the day wandering around Manchester while he worked up the courage to catch the bus over to Kate's house. It was so weird being in a place with so many people yet not once hearing the the familiar twang of a single southern accent. It made him homesick and it hadn't even been 24 hours. He hadn't even gone for fish and chips like Jason had insisted he should, he'd ended up in McDonalds ordering a Big Mac to make himself feel more at ease.

Monday morning had quickly rolled into afternoon and as it turned into evening he could no longer reason with himself that she would be at work. It was time to do what he had come to do, no matter how nervous he was. Or in other words how much he was fucking shitting himself.

He sat at the top of the double decker bus that the lady in the little information office had told him to catch and he watched the world roll by. Houses, schools, shops, road signs, roads, it was all so different. Seeing the narrow roads and roundabouts that the bus careened through made him glad he hadn't rented a car. Driving on the wrong side of the road would have probably been the least of his worries.

It was almost seven and darkness had long since set in. The streetlights were all lit and the moon was full and yellow in the sky. The layer of snow that had fallen earlier in the day had been trampled into slush, then refrozen into a bumpy ice rink that made walking almost impossible. Daryl found he liked concentrating on every slippery footstep, it helped distract him from the fact that he was only minutes away from Kate's house. Then the snow started to fall once more. The soft powder added a layer of grip to the ice and topped up the dusting of snow that was set on every fence post, rooftop and cars that hadn't been moved in several days. It was pretty, even if the cold was making the tops of his ears and the tip of his nose burn.

The street where Kate lived was a long line of three story red brick terrace houses. Most of the small gardens out front had been turned into driveways but despite that the pavement was still crammed with the types of cars that told him this was a nice place to live.

He read the numbers on the doors all the way until he found number 35. His stomach churned into knots. There was light shining through the bay window and through the slatted white blinds he saw her. Kate was right there. Her hair was tumbling in unruly waves around her shoulders and he could just make out the smile on her face as she stared at the stack of paper in her hands. She looked off to the side and threw the paper down before disappearing from view.

His heart was in his throat, his whole body was racing. She was home and he was going to really see her, not a sneak peak but eye to eye, so close that he could reach out and touch her.

He ducked under the porch light that hung from a chain in the brick entryway that housed her front door and enough space for a person to stand while they found their keys. He dithered, taking in every inch of the stained glass panels that gave a multicolored glimpse of her hallway.

Fucking hell, his hand rose and fell as he tried to muster up some courage to knock. His eyes fell to the old cast iron boot scraper embedded in the stone step and the long black umbrella resting in the corner. He could leave and she would never know he had stood here or he could knock and potentially open up a huge can of worms. Before he could talk himself out of it his hand wrapped around the door knocker that was held in the brass lions head. He knocked with three loud clangs.

His whole body was tingling with a strange mix of anticipation and dread as the sounds of footfalls clambering behind the door grew louder before it swung open letting out a blast of hot air and the smell of wood burning on a fire.

Daryl's eyes met with steel grey instead of the soft brown ones he'd been hoping for. _Fuck_. Bax stood with his grey shirt buttoned down and a glass of wine in one hand. He looked at ease, at home in Kate's life.

"It's not the Chinese," Bax looked him up and down with a disapproving frown. "Its an American."

"It's a what?" the sound of Kate's voice dragged him from the shock of seeing Dr Asshole Templeton standing in her doorway. He looked past the other man to see her hands clutched to a pile of plates as she walked along the black and white tiled floor of her hallway.

When she saw him her mouth fell open, her big brown eyes grew wide and the plates slipped from her grasp. Even the smashing of the plates on the tiles didn't disturb the hypnotic stare she had trained on him. She looked even more beautiful in the flesh than he remembered. The plum sweater she wore was tucked into a little black skater skirt and her legs were wrapped in black tights finished off with chunky black ankle boots.

"The Jag is in its _usual_ spot. I promise I'm not breaking any parking violations," Bax goaded him, referencing their first encounter back in Atlanta, but Daryl didn't have the wits to say a single word. It was over. He'd waited too long and now he'd been replaced. His heart managed to find another place to break and the pain was instantaneous. He could barely breath, it was a mistake to come here. He had to get away.

/

 _Holy fucking shit._ Surprise seemed a mild word to describe how Kate felt.

Bax slammed the door shut and turned to face Kate, his eyes soft with worry. "You okay chum?"

"Not really." She couldn't decided what was keeping her standing dumbfounded. The shock at seeing Daryl or the disappointment at watching him walking away without saying a single word.

"Whats going on?" Lauren poked her head out of the living room door, her gaze landing on the pile of the broken plates before it flicked to Kate.

She didn't have time to explain things, she stepped over the plates and was about to brush past Bax when he held her arm. "You're going to chase him?"

"I don't really have much choice."

"He just walked away from you Chum and he never called you back when he had the opportunity."

She'd confessed all to Bax many months ago over a bottle of wine when he had come over to her new house one night with every intention of seducing her. Bax was the kind of man that had every intention of seducing everyone and herself and Lauren were the only women on the History faculty that could stand the heartbreaking playboy.

Bax's words stung the old wound that still hadn't healed. Daryl had never returned any of the voicemails or texts that had left her feeling completely stupid but he was here and she at least needed to see why. She had enough regrets when it came to that man she didn't want to add one more.

Bax didn't stop her walking out of the house but the vague look of pity on his face made her stomach tighten with doubt.

She stepped outside,hovering on the doorstep as her gaze followed Daryl's tracks in the snow only to see him stomping back towards her house with a determined look on his face.

She wrapped her arms around herself, bracing for the confrontation she could feel itching on the end of her tongue and crackling through the night sky. She walked down the short path that led to the pavement and waited for him.

Daryl didn't slow his pace as he threw his backpack to the ground, clamped his hands about her arms and pulled her lips to meet his. The familiar smell enveloped sandalwood, leather, smoke, home. She sagged weakly against him, letting his tongue in to brush against hers taking her breath away. She was lost, the warmth of Daryl was curling heat from her stomach along every limb and suddenly she remembered waiting for the call that never came and the heat turned to frost as she pushed him away.

"You don't get to kiss me like that," she pointed her finger in his face, trying to ignore the part of her the wanted to surrender without a single word.

"If Bax wants ya, he's gonna have to goddamn fight for it."

"Don't be such a bloody neanderthal. This has nothing to do with Bax and everything to do with you, Daryl Dixon. You had your chance to return my messages and you didn't. Yes, I walked away and it was a shitty thing to do but at least I tried to make it right."

/

"Ya called me?" he would have bet a million bucks that Kate's stubborn ass wouldn't call him once she'd made her mind up about leaving. God, he was a fucking idiot. He wanted to smack himself in the head he was so fucking stupid, _seven fucking months._

She had her arms about her chest and that wild fighting look on her face but beyond the fight he could see the hurt. "What did ya say?"

"I said I made a mistake," her eyes went soft for a moment before she glared, "but maybe I didn't!"

"Ya did make a goddamn mistake, runnin' away like ya did. I've never been so damn upset in my entire life," he held her shoulders, running his hands along the tops of her arms. "I fucked up. I broke my damn phone when ya told me not to contact me again. I was so mad at ya for leavin' an' mad that I couldn't chase after ya like I wanted to."

Kate ran her hands through her hair and shifted from foot to foot, "why did you come here tonight?"

"I think ya know." His eyes flicked to the window of Kate's house where Bax was peering through the blind rather than coming outside and facing him like a man. One part of his brain knew he had no right to be mad about Kate being with Bax. Even if it had only been a couple of meaningless kisses, he'd kissed Cassie. But the other part of his brain was crazy with jealousy and didn't care how unreasonable that was. "Are ya really with that asshole? I mean Jesus Christ, I could snap him like a damn twig."

"No, he's a colleague," Kate snapped, pulling out of his arms, "even if I was with him it would be none of your business. What makes you think you can just walk into my life throwing accusations around?"

"Because you're mine, Kate, ever since I first laid my eyes on ya."

She bit her lip, holding her words like she always did. He was having to fight for her alright, except he wasn't having to fight Bax, Bax would have probably been easier. Even if she was standing hard and unyielding she was still trembling as the night air bit through her thin sweater. He shrugged off his leather jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders before tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, letting his thumb caress the line of her jaw. It was like heaven to be this close to her again, breathing in her perfume and touching her soft skin.

"I fucked up. I should have chased after ya sooner. I tried to get over ya but I can't. I never will. You're the one for me. God, I never knew how lonely I could be, how empty, it was never like that before." Cassie had helped replace the Irma shaped hole in his life but she couldn't ever replace the cavern that Kate had blasted open before running away and leaving him hollowed out and empty. "Say somethin', yer killin' me 'ere."

Her eyes fell to the backpack he had thrown down in the snow. "It's getting late. Where were you planning on spending the night?"

Daryl swallowed hard, biting back the frustrated grunt as his gaze flicked towards her house then back to the questioning look that she had etched all over her face.

"That's a little presumptive don't you think?"

"I guess."

Kate wrapped the jacket around herself, her nose pressed into the collar for the briefest of moments before she turned on her heel and silently led the way back to her house. He hesitated on the path before she looked over her shoulder and told him, "you better come in then."


	41. Time Alone

Kate's heart was racing as she stood with her back to Daryl, the smell of his jacket seemed to rekindle every memory of last summer as if it had all happened yesterday. She'd spent the last few months thinking he'd simply chosen never to return her calls and even if that wasn't the case it was still hard to let go of all the anger that had built up over the last few months. Right now it was easier to try and keep everything bottled up until she could think more clearly, although just looking at Daryl was making her head spin.

She poked her head into the living room to see Bax and Lauren standing together, she was already wearing her hat and coat as she forced his coat onto his arms before plonking his scarf around his neck.

"I'm guessing you want some time alone?" Lauren smiled softly. Kate looked over her shoulder to where Daryl was staring at the coatrack of handbags by the front door, he batted one to make them all dance before his eyes locked with hers. _Alone time with Daryl_ , from the way her palms were sweating and her butterflies were doing their crazy dance she thought it was probably not the best idea if she wanted to keep a level head. Her gaze drifted along his body before returning to Lauren. Who the hell cared about a level head anyway?

"Thank you for cleaning up the broken plates," Kate said.

"Don't worry about it," Lauren insisted, tugging at Bax's sleeve to bring him along.

"I could stay," Bax offered under his breath as his eyes trained on Daryl.

Kate shook her head, but he didn't notice her movement, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Whatever you want, Chum." Bax kissed her cheek, his lips lingering for longer than was required before he held her. "Call me if you change your mind and want some more _civilised_ company."

" _Bax_."

"I'll see you at work," he held a copy of her manuscript in his hand, "and I'll start reading through this in the meantime."

"Thank you."

When the door slammed shut Kate's heart found its way into her throat and her pulse was thundering around her body so erratically that when the doorbell rang she actually jumped, letting out a ridiculous squeal at the same time.

Daryl's lips curved into an almost non existent smile and she felt her cheeks reddening in the way that her cheeks always seemed to find cause to glow when he was around. Already he was turning her into girlish mush. . She cursed herself as she squeezed past him to answer the door.

The delivery man stood with the bag of forgotten about Chinese takeout. She paid him and shut the door. "Are you hungry?" Kate didn't wait for Daryl's answer as she hurried into her kitchen sitting the bag of food on the wooden counter. "Tea? Water? Something stronger?"

She didn't wait, she grabbed two tumblers and poured them both a glass of Christmas Brandy which was all that remained from her alcohol fuelled Christmas with Isy. It had consisted of watching every Christmas film known to man, drinking _very_ merrily, pulling a whole box of ridiculously priced Christmas crackers from John Lewis (none of which had a plastic frog as a prize, very disappointing) and cooking a beautifully plump, corn fed, free range turkey that had the delightful combination of being burnt on the outside and raw in the middle.

"Cheers." She downed the measure, trying to avoid the way Daryl was watching her even if it was impossible to ignore his intense blue eyes that followed her every move. It was making her lose all resolve. Part of her wanted to stay mad at him for never calling her back even if he hadn't known about her messages. The other part of her didn't want to waste another second fighting him. If leaving had taught her one thing it was how much she'd wanted to stay. More than once she had looked up flight times or started a letter that never got sent. Stubbornness, pride, heartache, all three had stopped her doing what she wanted.

He set his glass on the side, untouched, "are ya okay?"

"No." Of course Daryl was more at ease than she was, he'd had time to prepare for this and she was still in a state of shock

"Ya want me to go?"

"No."

"Ya know I didn't come 'ere for a vacation right?"

"You didn't?" she asked despite knowing the truth of it.

"No. I came for you." Their eyes locked. "Only you."

In three long strides Daryl was standing directly in front of her and her heart was beating like a hummingbird's wings. He was so near. She leaned back against the kitchen counter but he only gained more space. His body not quite touching hers, just close enough so she could feel the heat of him. Her skin prickled in anticipation of being intimately touched, her breathing deepened.

Kate's gaze lingered on his lips and she knew if she kissed him now then it would be all over. She would give into whatever he wanted. The tips of her fingers pressed against his chest with an idea to push him away, "you know smashing your phone to pieces was a pretty stupid thing to do."

"Yes ma'am." His fingers brushed her wrist, her heart tripped over its quick little beats.

"And turning up here without even calling? It's impulsive… ridiculously so."

He gripped her wrists moving her hands from where they pressed against his chest, settling them on his sides to allow him entry to edge even closer, "sometimes so are you."

"Well that's not the point."

His nose brushed along her jawline before his lips grazed her ear, "And yer stubborn, uppity, a pain in the ass," he whispered the insults like sweet nothings and her whole body shuddered at the way his lips tickled against her ear with each word. "Ya turned me into a goddamn crazy man."

"I did nothing of the sort. And if you find me so difficult then perhaps you should have save yourself the trouble of this trip Daryl Dixon!"

Daryl snorted, "I never said I didn't like it." His hand buried in her hair giving it the gentlest tug so she was looking at him, "do I get to kiss ya now or do I have to beg on my knees woman?"

The idea of Daryl on his knees at her feet had its merits. She bit back her smile but she couldn't stop the way the thought lit up her eyes that were locked with his. "You don't have to beg me."

"Then tell me what to do."

"Kiss me," she breathed out her voice sounding so husky with desire that she could hardly believe it belonged to her.

Daryl's hands found a home on the small of her waist, pulling her body into his. His lips pressed to hers, softly tasting her. His tongue stroking across her bottom lip.

She couldn't fight him anymore. She'd come home to England to be with the part of her heart that was buried with Harry and in doing so she had left behind a life she had inadvertently created in Georgia and the part of her heart that would always belong to Daryl.

Kate pulled away from his soft slow kisses, "I'm sorry for leaving like I did. You were right, I was wrong."

His hands squeezed her waist and he laughed quietly, "I'm gonna need to savour _those_ words, don't reckon I'll hear them again."

Kate rolled her eyes, "I don't suppose you will Mr Dixon."

Daryl's smile fell away and his face grew more serious, "I still love ya Kate, just as much as I always did an always will."

She felt her heart dance. The past months had been physically painful, being lovesick seemed to be a thing invented by lovestruck young girls or fairytales but she knew it was true. "Me too."

Daryl gave her a pointed look, his fingers tickling her side.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on the tips of her toes, her lips brushing against his, "I love you Daryl."

He kissed her again, harder, his tongue pushing through her lips, his hands exploring from her waist to cup her bottom. Then he pulled away, his eyes dark and seductive as he looked at her before nodding to the bag of takeaway food, "ya hungry?"

Kate's body was tingling with so much need that she could hardly comprehend the question. "Not anymore."

Daryl cleared his throat but his voice was still hoarse as he almost demanded, "ya wanna talk some more?"

"No."

"Good," he pushed his jacket off her shoulders and their kissing resumed, up the stairs and into her bedroom where they fell onto the bed, Daryl's kisses falling from her lips to her neck. "It killed me when I thought ya might be with another man."

"God help me woman, yer a hellcat but you're mine," he pulled off her sweater, kissing her breasts through the lace of her bra, "all mine." his hand reached around to removed her bra, his rough calloused fingers sending tingles along her spine. He pushed her back to the mattress sucking her nipple so hard she yelped, "tell me."

The dark look in his eye, made her heart pick up speed, she probably shouldn't have enjoyed being claimed by a possessive caveman half as much as she was but she couldn't deny that she didn't like it, "I'm yours."

His grin grew wide as he stood at the end of the bed, pulling off his shirt and dropping it to the floor. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of his body. It wasn't just his biceps that had benefited from day after day of manual work on the farm. Her eyes drank in every inch of him before resting on the rose tattoo. A flurry of butterflies erupted before she noticed him watching the way she was staring at him like a child in a sweetie shop and her cheeks filled pink.

"Yer gonna let me take ya home. No arguin'." It wasn't exactly a question.

"Daryl I-"

"I said no arguin."

Kate bit her lip. Go home with him? Living with Daryl in Georgia was exactly what she had refused to do seven months ago. She nodded. Yes, of course she would go home with him.

"I'm gonna need ya to say it," his fingers hooked into her tights and tugged them off her body.

"Were you always this bloody bossy?"

A lazy smile slipped across his face, "yer just the woman to bring out a man's bossy side, now tell me, I wanna hear the words."

"I'll move to Georgia." then she did her best southern accent, "no arguin'."

He pulled off her skirt and knickers so she was completely bare, "into my farm?"

She was going to tease him and say she would find a place of her own, get herself a roommate but she bit back the words. The way Daryl's eyes drank in her body made waiting for his touch impossible, she sat up and tugged at his belt buckle, "yes. Your farm."

"Good girl," he grinned.

Kate's fingers fell from his jeans with a scowl that only made his devilish grin widen.

Daryl pushed her down and pinned her wrists to the mattress. His mouth took control of her, hot kisses travelling ever lower, setting her body on fire with sensation. She hadn't been touched like this since he had last touched her and she craved it like a starved woman.

He sucked hard at the inside of her thigh and she gasped. "Did you just give me a love bite?"

"All mine," she had no time to protest, his tongue found the point between her thighs that cared of nothing but needing more. Daryl knew exactly what to do to push her to the edge, she strained desperately for release with every flick of movement.

"Oh god Daryl, don't stop," Kate pleaded, the lightening bolts of pleasure were shooting all over her, building relentlessly as her hips bucked begging for more. Her head fell back, her legs trembled and her body shattered with a powerful release.

He remained between her thighs, stroking her lightly as she came down from the aftershocks and her eyes met with his, the flush of heat on her cheeks.

"God ya so damn beautiful," his gravelly voice promised as he stood up and finally kicked off his jeans and reminded her how impressive he was.

She licked her lips, she wanted to make him feel as good as he had made her. She edged off the bed, her hands sweeping along his thighs, feeling the muscle as she settled onto her knees. One hand held his thigh and the other wrapped around his shaft, pumping lightly before her tongue slowly licked the end. His breath hitched and the muscles in his thighs clenched.

"Kate..." Daryl's voice was strained with desire and she knew what he wanted. She took him in her mouth as far as she could and his hips rocked gently in time with the rhythm, his hand bunching in her hair but not controlling her as she sucked along his shaft.

"Oh fuck," Daryl groaned becoming more and more out of control before he jerked away, his body shuddering. "I need to be inside ya."

He pulled her up to kiss his lips and the taste of her pleasure that still lingered on them. Already her body was desperate for more, one high hadn't been enough. He pushed her onto the bed, falling between her thighs, his teeth nipping at her neck before he teased her nipples, sucking and kissing.

"Please," Kate purred. Daryl growled in response, spreading her legs wider before he sunk into her in one toe curling thrust. Her body quivered with pleasure at being so entirely filled and joined with Daryl.

He pulled out in slow torture, his hand cupping her breast, his thumb brushing her nipple, "I love ya," he pledged tenderly with one last soft kiss before soft and tender was replaced by frenzied passion that she begged for with every moan of pleasure. Daryl had little restraint as he fucked her, angling her hips so his thumb could brush her higher and higher to the edge.

Her hands glided over the layer of sweat that was settling on his chest before her fingers dug into his shoulders, holding on tight as she lost control and another orgasm tore her apart. He growled her name as his body stiffened, his release pumping hot spurts into her before he settled down, still inside her, his cheek resting next to hers. Kate stroked her fingertips down his spine relishing the way their bodies were connected.

/

Daryl had never felt so much relief in his life. Having Kate in his arms, making love to her, knowing he was going to be keeping her. Everything he'd been dreaming about since he had first laid eyes on Kate was going to happen. He could hardly believe it. She'd been right about the farm all those months ago when he had offered to move with her to England. There was no way he could give it up. Especially after he'd poured his whole soul into bringing it back to life. Things were finally starting to settle into place on the Dixon Farm. There had only been one thing missing and he was holding tight to that missing piece right now.

"So yer sure ya gonna come back with me?" he almost kicked himself for saying it and sounding so desperate.

"Yes."

Yes. Daryl held his breath giving her what must have been an odd look, "I just can't believe yer stubborn ass is gonna give me what I want. I thought I was gonna have to fight ya for it for the rest of the damn week."

Kate let out a small laugh, "when I got on that plane I knew it wasn't right. I love my job, my house, my friends and I thought they would be enough. I thought I could be happy with those things," she tilted her head to look at him, her big brown eyes wide and beautiful, "nothing comes close to the way I feel when I'm with you."

Daryl felt his body fill with a flood of warmth. It was hard to imagine that he would make her feel like that, he couldn't even comprehend the possibility that she would love him quite as much as he loved her. "I should've come sooner. Should've booked tickets when my passport first arrived."

"You're here now," she sat up, her fingers inspecting his chest, then his face before they brushed through his hair. He loved the way she was looking at him, "I just can't believe you're really here. How long are you staying for?"

"Ten days."

Kate's face fell and she let out a heavy sigh.

"What is it? Ya ain't changing yer mind?" he jabbed her tummy with his finger and a lopsided smile.

"I won't be able to move to Georgia until my classes are finished in a few months."

He rolled on top of her, " _months_? Yer gonna goddamn kill me."

"I can't just leave mid term, it would be unprofessional. And I have to sell my house, my car, there's Jessica to think about, applying for another visa-"

Daryl kissed her, interrupting her list of practicalities, "can't ya just drop everythin' an' smuggle yerself in my bag?"

"I don't think you could squeeze me into an overhead locker on the plane."

He grunted, _months_ , he wanted to start their life together right now and everyday afterwards. Part of him was scared that if he didn't bring her home with him then she'd find cause to change her mind. On the other hand it would give him chance to prepare things back home. He'd spent most of his time, energy and money on fixing up life for the horses and planting the fields. The house had been left behind, least of all it needed a lick of paint. He glanced around Kate's bedroom, like the rest of the house it was beautiful. He'd have to make the farmhouse a little more suitable for her to be happy with until she picked out colours and shit like that. The idea of her decorating his house with all her things filled him with warm fuzzy feelings. "Suppose we'll have to make the most of the next ten days then. Where ya gonna take me?"

"Where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere… but first," his lips brushed along her neck before nipping her lightly, "I wanna make the most of this bed." He cupped her breasts kissing them, "again," he kissed her navel, "and again," he kissed the inside of her thigh, "and again."

There was a screeching outside the bedroom door that almost sounded like the wail of a baby. He lifted his head to inspect her face as she half smiled and rolled out of the bed. Her ass looked so perfect as she walked completely nude to open her bedroom door. In scampered a long haired tabby cat, weaving between her legs and crying for attention before she fussed over it picking it up and holding it close to her chest.

"This is Mr Darcy."

 _A fucking cat_ , Lady was going to eat the damn thing in one slobbery bite.


	42. Back to the Start

Waking up with Kate's soft curves pressed against his body was a good moment. Daryl savoured everything from the smell of her hair to the way his hand settled in the dip of her waist. He couldn't imagine ever feeling happier than he did right now.

Or maybe he could; Mr Darcy clawed at his foot like he had done for half of the night, despite Daryl getting up and throwing him out of the room more than once. He kicked the obnoxious hairball off the bed. _Damn cat_.

"He's just mad because you're in his spot," Kate mumbled, nestling her head on his chest, her fingers brushing along his stomach leaving a trail of pleasurable tingles.

Daryl kissed the top of her head and smiled. "Ya just had to be a cat person huh?"

"Get used to it," Mr Darcy jumped back up on the bed, climbing over Daryl, rubbing his head all over Kate and purring as she scratched under his chin.

Daryl stretched, glancing at the clock on the nightstand, "Jesus have ya seen the time woman… yer one helluva distraction."

"Well you shouldn't have kept me up half the night Mr Dixon."

He rolled onto his side, clasping her tighter to him, "can ya blame me? I've spent months waitin' to get my damn hands on ya."

"And was it worth it?"

What kind of crazy question was that? He squeezed her gorgeous ass, "more than worth it. But lord knows how I'm gonna get any work done now you're finally 'ere in Georgia."

She peppered his chest with kisses, "then don't work. Let's just play." He didn't need asking twice before they were enjoying another tangle between the sheets.

He'd taken yesterday off to collect Kate from the airport but today he at least needed to show his face around the fields, not to mention that he had big plans that involved leaving the bedroom at least for part of the day. They'd already missed breakfast. He was never so late to work, not even when he was half dead of flu last winter or barely awake from working two jobs.

He left Kate sated and half asleep in bed while he took a shower then pulled on some clothes. "I'm gonna help see to the morning chores, then I thought we could go on a ride."

Kate was laying on her stomach cuddling with the pillow, her legs tangled with a sheet and the rest of her all bare skin. "I miss you already," she purred.

 _Jesus_. Somehow he forced himself out of the room and down the stairs.

Zach and Rooster were out by the paddock when he finally got to work.

"Mornin' Boss. Ya oversleep? Or was it _undersleeping'_?" Rooster winked and even the kid Zach dared a laugh.

"I'll worry 'bout my sleep an' ya'll better just worry 'bout not pissin' me off."

"Whatever ya say Boss," Rooster saluted. Zach gave a sheepish smile.

"How's Duchess?" Daryl asked like he did several times a day.

"She's coming on. Won't be long before this farm is filled with the pitter patter of tiny feet eh Boss?"

Daryl scratched his chin, looking over his shoulder at the two knuckleheads, "we'll see." Lord knows he couldn't wait to start working on it.

/

Kate stepped into the shower. Mr Darcy followed her into the bathroom taking a seat on the toilet lid. He hadn't left her side since they had arrived here yesterday and she had let him out of his crate to be almost eaten by Daryl's coonhound, Lady. _Poor Mr Darcy._ She'd been so worried about how he was going to cope with moving to Georgia that she almost hadn't brought him. The only other option would have been giving him to a shelter but she couldn't do that to the old cat. She'd been attached to him from the moment he'd found him half starved and hiding under her garden shed.

She'd forgotten to bring any of her toiletries into the shower with her and she was now discovering that Daryl's options were limited. Shampoo and a generic bar of soap. It made her smile. He was such a man. No frills, no fuss. Part of her was surprised he had the shampoo.

She lathered up, her memory filled with all the kisses and touches that Daryl had worshipped her skin with last night while her gaze couldn't help critiquing her new bathroom. Like everything else inside the house it was old but not in a classic way that wanted preserving. The suite was an odd shade of yellow that should never grace bathroom furniture and the tiles had twee little yellow and blue flowers all scattered around.

She wondered how Daryl would feel about her making changes to this house that he was so very accustomed to. If it was a house they had purchased together then she would have taken no prisoner. She'd be pulling on her clothes, grabbing a hammer and chisel then knocking those little flowered tiles straight off the wall with great pleasure. She could only imagine Daryl's horrified expression if she started taking a hammer to _this_ house. She didn't need to be an expert to understand the sentimental meaning of every inch of this house. It had housed not only Dale and Irma but also Daryl's Grandfather and a whole host of other Dixon family members.

Kate stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself, briefly picturing Daryl doing his own laundry, then went in the bedroom to open her suitcase and dig out her deoderant. While she was pulling all her belongings onto the bed bright blue skies and endless green fields caught her eye. She walked to the window sill before perching on the edge and pulling the window all the way open to take in a deep breath of the fresh country air.

It was really something. This was her home too now and Kate was certain she could love this place no matter what the tiles looked like. In fact she couldn't believe her good fortune to be waking up to such a beautiful view each morning. For a split second she imagined a swing set in the middle of all the grass and little dark haired children running around, their peels of laughter piercing the quiet. For the very first time she not only imagined having another child but actually longed for it and it didn't feel like a betrayal to Harry. I had been more than two years now and she felt okay with starting a new life. It was allowed, it was _right_.

"I made ya a cup of tea."

Kate jumped, her hand slamming against her thundering heartbeat, "bloody hell, you gave me a start."

Daryl chuckled, "ya looked a million miles away. What were ya thinkin'?"

"Just... how beautiful it is here."

"You're happy?"

Daryl must have asked her that question a dozen times since he picked her up from the airport, like he was waiting for her to change her mind and regret her decision to live with him. She took the mug of tea, "I'm happy."

Even if being here was new and different and she had reluctantly said goodbye to her house and her job all it took was one look at Daryl to make her feel that being here was exactly where she was supposed to be. Being with Daryl was just _right_.

"I love you," she said, taking his hand and brushing her thumb along it.

He pulled her from the window, "ya can't be sittin' there like _that_ ," his eyes fell to the towel, "ya don't need to give Rooster any damn ideas."

/

He took a seat on the bed, watching Kate pulling on a pair of denim cutoffs and tucking in a slinky little white cami.

Having her here he could almost forget the last couple of months spent waiting and worrying about her visa and a million other little things. Now he could get excited to take her back to the fair they'd visited last year. Daryl planned on taking her on the exact same hike under the stars and instead of just talking he wanted to kiss her and make love to her on a blanket right out in the open. Maybe even spend the entire night out there.

He also couldn't wait to have her with him to host the fourth of July party that Irma and Dale always hosted. The old couple were even making their way over for the weekend and he was looking forward to seeing them again even if he knew Irma was getting pretty sick now. She was pleased that Kate had moved in with him and he'd talked with her over the phone a hundred times about all his plans for the farm and their life together.

In a few days Charlene and Jim were hosting a 'Welcome Home' BBQ for Kate to get reaquainted with everyone, including their newest additions. But first Daryl wanted her all to himself. He wanted to take her on a repeat of their very first horseback ride. He liked to think of that day as their very first date and even if she had spent half the time thinking he was marrying Charlene he'd spent the entire time falling in love with her.

When Kate was ready, he led her outside to find Rooster waiting on the porch steps.

"Boss, Boss's girl," Rooster grinned, tipping the hat he had on his head and flashing his ladykiller smile.

"Ya got everything' ready?" Daryl eyed Rooster with a stern glare.

"Yessir." Rooster winked.

When they got to the stables Duchess and Ace were saddled and waiting. He could tell Kate was nervous. Afterall, she hadn't rode in almost a year but she didn't complain or protest. She let him help her up and he remembered what it was like to put her into the saddle for the very first time. He liked it then and he liked it now.

As the horses trotted along the trail, she admired the crops that were swaying tall in the breeze and the way the freshly painted white farmhouse looked against the sky. Daryl just admired Kate and how pretty she looked out in the sunshine.

They passed under some magnolia trees, he picked a blossom and passed it to Kate without a single care for what a damn huge pussy he was. He'd gone halfway across the world to fetch this runaway woman and he'd be damned if he didn't worship the ground she walked on. She'd given up everything for him and never wanted her to regret it.

They stopped at the stream where they had watered the horses so long ago. He jumped down from his saddle, tying ace to the tree before holding his arms out for Kate.

"This is nice," she smiled.

"Ya remember me bringin' ya 'ere?"

"Of course." her big brown eyes locked with his and she cocked her head to the side, "you know I never did reveal the secret location of Fort Dixon."

Daryl laughed. God he couldn't wait to take her into that tree house and claim the kiss he had failed to take last year.

/

Kate brushed passed Daryl, leaving him fumbling with Ace's saddlebag as she made her way over to the heart tree to look at the carving made by his grandparents. It was sweet of him to bring her back here and she liked spending this time together, just the two of them. She remembered the moment she had first seen this place and the moment when she had realised he wasn't marrying Charlene. She remembered looking at him as her heart had beat out of control, desperately wanting him to kiss her and not kiss her at the same time. She could almost feel that same breathless anticipation by just being back here again.

She swept the hair off her neck, enjoying the hot Georgia sun as it trickled through the canopy. She touched her index finger over the bottom tip of the carved heart and almost instantly the air in her lungs held tight, her heart stopped beating and her eyes noticed a new addition to the big old tree.

"I couldn't finish it," Daryl's gravelling voice blew into her ear, his body pressed against her back. There was another heart carved into the bark, the top had 'D D' and the bottom only had a 'K'.

She tilted her head to look at him, his lips brushed against her ear.

"You couldn't?" she breathed in a whisper.

"Ya ain't got the right initial," one of his hands held steady onto her waist. The other brought a little black box in front of her. His thumb flicked open the lid. Nestled in the dark navy velvet was a ring that seemed to capture every flicker of sunlight that was working its way through the trees.

Her throat went dry, her heart was now pounding out of control. Her first thought was that Daryl had great taste, or at least knew someone that did, followed swiftly by, "yes." She didn't need to consider the answer. She knew exactly what moving over here was going to mean for them both. "Yes," she said even louder.

She span around to see the wonky smile that was lighting up his face, "slow down woman, I ain't even asked ya yet."

Kate bit her lip, holding back a huge grin.

"Will ya marry me?"

"Errr…" she stalled, teasing, "let me think…"

"Good lord, yer a damn pain in the ass," he scolded with a smile.

"It's such a pretty day, such beautiful land and such a perfect ring... so I suppose I will marry you Mr Dixon."

"Good," he slipped the ring along her finger and Kate barely had time to admire it before her back was pushed against the tree and he kissed her, his tongue slowly stroking along hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let him guide her to the picnic blanket he'd retrieved from Ace's saddle bag.

He eased her down, climbing on top of her, making out for an endless amount of time under the trees with the stream babbling away and the horses happily whinnying. He rolled over to pull a bottle of champagne and two plastic cups out of his saddlebag.

The cork shot clear across the steam and the champagne bubbled out of the bottle before he poured her a glass, "Mrs Dixon," he smirked.

"All this would have been pretty bloody awkward if I'd have said no."

Daryl snorted, "yeah, I tried not to think too much 'bout that."

She sipped her champagne and Daryl pulled out the rest of the picnic that he'd organised while she had been showering.

"So…" he cleared his throat, his eyes flickering to her, "when do ya reckon i'll be finishin' up that carvin'?"

"You're very impatient."

"So ya won't make me wait long then huh?"

"Perhaps you should learn some restraint," she prodded his arm, toying with him although she was almost certain that they would be married before the year was out, probably before the summer was over if it was up to Daryl.

"I can't restrain myself around you," he rolled on top of her pinning her to the blanket and kissing her as if to prove his point.

After the picnic they lay under the trees basking in the sun and talking about wedding plans. Everything from eloping somewhere exotic to turning up at city hall in a pair of jeans and a tshirt. Kate didn't mind what they did but she got the feeling that this no frills man wanted it to be special. He wanted a white wedding with all the trimmings.

Kate lay her head in the crook of his arm, relishing the closeness and admiring the way the ring looked and felt on her finger. No matter what came tomorrow, today was perfect and it was only the beginning of _forever in Georgia_.

* * *

 **AN** \- The End- or at least the end for now. I feel good about where I'm leaving them and hope you do too. I might pick this story back up again with a part two or maybe an epilogue but for now I want to write something new and have a break. Thank you for reading, favouriting and all the comments you have left along the way. You don't know how much it means to me to know that you enjoy my story xxx


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